§ 85. Mr. VIANTasked the Secretary of State for Air what has been the total expenditure on airships since the suspension of flying operations in 1921; if the R.S5, R. 37, R.39, R.80, L.64, and L.71, then in existence, have been disposed of; and, if so, what money was received for them?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for AIR (Sir Samuel Hoare)The answer to the first part of the question is £380,000, all but a negligible portion being expenditure on the new airship programme; to the second, that the contracts for the R.35 and R.39 were cancelled, that the R.37, L.64, and L.71 were scrapped, all useful gear being removed and kept for future use, and that the R.80 is being used for for strain experiments; to the last part of the question, that none of the airships was sold, but some of the unwanted parts 39 of those which were broken up realised about £l,300.
§ 86. Mr. VIANTasked the Secretary of State for Air what was the cost of the British airships R.39 and the R.80: by whom were these airships constructed; and what are the total hours of flight of each vessel?
§ Sir S. HOAREAs regards the first part of the question, the cost of the R.39, which was not completed, was approximately £90,000, and the cost of the R.80 £275,000. As regards the second part, the R.39 was constructed by Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth, and the R.80 by Messrs. Vickers. As regards the last part, no flights were performed by the R.39, and approximately 73 hours were flown by the R.80.