SSP class airship

SSP class
Role	Patrol airship
National origin	United Kingdom
Introduction	1917
Primary user	Royal Navy
Number built	6

The SSP (Submarine Scout Pusher) were a class of Royal Navy non-rigid airship or "blimp" developed by the United Kingdom during World War I as a successor to the earlier SS class airship. Found to be inferior to a parallel development, the Submarine Scout Zero non-rigid, only a few were built. The main role of these craft was to escort convoys and scout or search for German U-Boats.^[1]

Design and development

In 1916, design commenced at RNAS Kingsnorth on an SS class -type airship that would have a more comfortable purpose-built car,^[2] and not simply be an adaptation of an aeroplane fuselage. The SSP cars were of rectangular cross-section, had a blunt nose, and could accommodate a crew of three.^[3]

As the name suggests, the SSP was powered by a 100 hp (75 kW) Green engine monted on bearers to the rear of the car, powering a 9 ft (2.7 m) diameter four-bladed propeller in pusher configuration. Four examples of the type were later fitted with 75 hp (56 kW) Rolls-Royce Hawk engines.^[3]

Six SSPs entered service between January and June 1917,^[4] but because of the success of the SSZ type it was decided that these would become the standard SS variant, and the SSP programme was terminated.^[3]

Operators

Royal Navy

Specifications

Data from ^[4]

General characteristics

Crew: 3
Length: 143 ft 5 in (43.7 m)
Diameter: 30 ft 0 in (9.1 m)
Height: 43 ft 5 in (13.2 m)
Volume: 70,000 ft³ (2,000 m³)
Useful lift: 1,570 lb (710 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Green, 100 hp (75 kW)

later: 1 × Rolls-Royce Hawk, 75 hp (56 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 52 mph (84 km/h)
Endurance: 24 hours
Rate of climb: 500 ft/min (2.5 m/s)

References

Notes

↑ SS-class airships Airship Heritage Trust. Retrieved on 25 March 2009.
↑ Twenty-One Years of Airship Progress. flightglobal.com. Retrieved on 28 March 2009.
1 2 3 Whale (2008), p.60.
1 2 SSP-class airship specifications and logs. AHT. Retrieved on 25 March 2009.

Bibliography

Whale, George (2008). British Airships: Past Present and Future. Toronto, Canada: Bastian Books. p. 124. ISBN 0-554-30772-3.

External links

RNAS non-rigid airships

C class C* class SS class SSP class SSZ class SST class NS class

Aviation in World War I

People and aircraft	Commanders Aces Aircraft of the Entente Powers Aircraft of the Central Powers Zeppelins

Campaigns and battles	Strategic bombing German Cuxhaven Bombing of cities Aerial reconnaissance Fokker Scourge Flight over Vienna Bloody April Battles

Entente Powers air services	British air services Royal Flying Corps Royal Naval Air Service Royal Air Force Australian Flying Corps Canadian Air Force (1918–20) French Air Service Imperial Russian Air Service Royal Italian Air Corps United States Army Air Service Greek air services Army Air Service Naval Air Service

Central Powers air services	Imperial German Air Service Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops Ottoman Aviation Squadrons Bulgarian Army Aeroplane Section

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