Commemorative plaque 51216

This black commemorative plaque records: R-100 Airship History Trail. The R100 airship was built at Howden as part of a government policy to reduce journey times to distant destinations. It was designed by Barnes Wallis and Nevil Shute Norway and took 3 years to construct. The airship was 216m (709ft) long and 41m (133ft) in diameter and was launched on 16 December 1929. The R100 was designed to carry 100 passengers and 38 crew and had a range of 5,000 miles. It flew to Canada and back in July / August 1930 taking 79 hours outward and 57 hours to return. After the tragic loss of the rival R101 the airship programme was abandoned. The R100 was stored and later dismantled. The plaques along Market Place mark its length and are a permanent memorial to Howden's part in aviation history. Recorded plaque organisation: Howden Civic Society.

The R100 airship, designed by Barnes Wallis and Nevil Shute Norway, represented a significant advancement in early 20th-century aviation technology, aiming to revolutionize long-distance travel; however, its operational career was cut short following the loss of the R101, leading to the abandonment of Britain's airship program.