Inchinnan
INCHINNAN: Civil aerodrome also airship station/works
Note: The first three items were kindly provided by Mr Michael T Holder. The fouth picture, from a postcard, was kindly sent by Mike Charlton who has an amazing collection.
Manufacturing: WW1 and for a period after. William Beardmore Co
Location: N of and about 1 to 2nm from the centre of ABBOTSINCH/GLASGOW AIRPORT
Period of operation: 1916 to 1921?
NOTES: Aircraft to be assembled were transported from, and completed examples also flown here from ROBERTSON PARK; the Beardmore factory in Dalmuir, DUMBARTONSHIRE just across the Clyde, just a mile or two away.
A STORY
In the spring of 1918 an air raid warning sounded at the Gretna munitions works. It appeared that a huge German bomber was approaching from the direction of Ireland. This presented a problem as the nearby anti-aircraft batteries were all pointing the wrong way! And, don't forget, anti-aircaft crews in both World Wars took their task literally. It did not matter a jot to them if the aircraft was friendly or hostile, they would try to shoot any aircraft down. The Americans with their typically sick humour later coined the phrase - friendly fire.
In fact is was the massive Handley Page V/1500, which had been assembled at INCHINNAN on it’s delivery flight to southern England, presumably to the Handley Page CRICKLEWOOD aerodrome in north London? A storeman had, unbeknown to the crew, placed a parcel of four surplus compass correction magnets in the aircraft, which rendered the on board compass useless.
So, after initially climbing through low cloud to 8000ft after taking off they soon became hopelessly lost. Descending to establish their position nothing was identifiable although unbelievably to them they did see they were now near a coastline - but which one? England? Holland? Or even Germany? They then saw the gunners near Gretna getting ready to fire so climbed into cloud again. When the fuel was running out they actually landed near Stirling and were promptly arrested until their identity could be established.
Just look at a map and think about it, what a nightmare flight! One thing intrigues me though, when above the lower cloud why couldn’t they use the sun to get a basic idea of the direction they should follow? Perhaps this was obscured by thick higher cloud layers?
THE WILLIAM BEARDMORE COMPANY
The William Beardmore Company deserves a mention for various reasons. As well as building the airship R-34 here; the first ‘aircraft’ to complete a double crossing of the Atlantic in 1919 departing from EAST FORTUNE in LOTHIAN. They also built in or around 1920 the largest aircraft in the world at that time, the 160 foot wingspan Beardmore-Rohrbach Inflexible.
And, one of the smallest aircraft, the ultralight Wee Bee which won the main prize at the LYMPNE (KENT) trials in 1924. This company also started an experimental airline service between RENFREW and CROYDON in 1920. Obviously too soon to be practical but nevertheless illustrating great foresight.
THE R.36 AIRSHIP - A HUGE FLOP
In September 2021. Mike Holder discovered these items published in Flight magazine on the 19th May 1921.
NOTES: The R.36 was originally designed towards the end of WW1, it appears, for long range reconnaissance military duties, but with the end of the war it was decided to convert it into a civil passenger carrying airship, with quite ridiculous expectations of what it might achieve. Indeed, to this end it seems that it was the first British airship to be allotted a civil registration - G-FAAF.
Its maiden flight was on the 1st April 1921 which turned out to be most appropriate. Trials soon revealed it had neither the payload/range for long distance flights. A problem that afflicted the ill-fated R.101 of course. So, after a few fairly local sorties, it was scrapped.
Note: This picture from Google Earth © shows the proximity of the Beardmore site to the modern GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL airport.
THE FICKLE FINGER OF FATE
This information certainly does illustrate the very fickle nature of history doesn’t it? When company names like Armstrong Whitworth, Avro, Bristol, de Havilland, Fairey, Handley Page, Hawker, Miles, Percival, Sopwith, Supermarine, Vickers and Westland - to give a few examples, have survived the ‘history’ test of time, why has Beardmore lapsed?
For more details regarding the astonishing range of types the Beardmore company built at Dalmuir I would recommend British Built Aircraft Vol.5 by Ron Smith.
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