| Airship
Sheds |
Keeling
Islands - Mid Indian Ocean
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| Country:
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Keeling
Islands - Mid Indian Ocean |
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Location: |
Ross
Island (West Island) Keeling Capital |
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Location
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Facilities
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Actual
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Proposed
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None
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1
Mast and emergency or full base facilities
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A recently
discovered map in the Public Records Office in Kew showing
all the proposed Imperial Air Routes has uncovered some
interesting unknown finds. The map is dated "Air Routes
1931" but it is suspected that this is a future proposal
of sites, probably issued around August September 1930,
prior to the loss of the R101 and when many decision had
been made regarding the next phase of the Airship Programme.
On of
the locations which was shown was the proposal of a mast
in Keeling Island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, but
also close proximity to Sumatra. The mast is in a strategic
location in the Middle of the Indian Ocean, which would
be suitable to service the later ships and in the trade
winds from South Africa to Australia.
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of this route is already shown in the proposals made in 1926,
and the length of the route would have only been capable by
ships of the R102 class. Nothing more is known of the Keeling
Island mast, and it is unknown whether the Imperial Air commission
stopped off there en route from South Africa to Australia
in 1927. The mast could also service those airships travelling
down from Bombay, Colombo to Perth in Australia, as it sits
on a geographic line directly south east connecting those
locations. |
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| The
Keeling Islands is also know as the Cocos Islands, is a small
cluster of some twenty seven originally uninhabited island.
It wasn't until the 1820's when explorer, John Clunies Ross,
settled here and found the islands suitable for harvesting
coconut palms. He planted hundreds of plants to establish
a business on the islands. |
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| In
1927 the surveyor, Lt Nixon struggled to find a passenger
ship that would divert to the isolated archipelago. The ship
owners were reluctant due to the fear of running around on
potential reefs surrounding the island. Of the islands, the
most suited was Ross Island, being some 5 miles long, and
over 700 meters wide. |
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| The
other islands in the chain were deemed too small for the purposes.
To make way for the base, and potential mast, the island would
have to be cleared, and also the provision of fresh water
was essential. Airships were unable to use seawater as ballast
due to the corrosive properties. The survey team would overcome
this problem by the sinking of wells in the main part of the
island as a source of fresh water. In addition to this, and
for the quantities needed for commercial airship operation,
a sea water condensing plant would also be required to set
up. |
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Another provision for
the proposed mast would be for the strengthening of the
mast against hurricanes. It was noted that the islands had
been previously battered by a hurricane in 1909, with wind
speeds recorded of 150mph.
Whether as an emergency
base or as a permanent base, these sorts of extra requiments
would need to be taken in to account. Along with fresh water,
a a hydrogen production plan would also need to be able
to top up any ship with any vented hydrogen during the voyage.
A silicol production plant would also need to be established.
A line of supply of coke and other essential consumables
could be established from Durban to the Keeling Islands.
Despite seeming remote,
the plans for either an emergency base, or permanent main
base on the Keeling Ilands would have made a very interesting
and unique location. However due to the R101 crash, the
plans for the extension of the Imperial Airship scheme,
remained thus, just as plans.
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