Roma (airship)

''Roma'' was an Italian-built semi-rigid airship, designated by its designer as the Model T-34. Purchased by the United States from the Italian government in 1921, ''Roma'' was operated for three months by the United States Army Air Service from November 15, 1921 to February 21, 1922, when it crashed and exploded in Norfolk, Virginia, killing 34 crewmen and passengers aboard, with 9 survivors. As a result of this accident, ''Roma'' was the last hydrogen inflated airship flown by the US military; all subsequent US Army and Navy airships were inflated with non-flammable helium.

Design and development

''Roma'' was designed by , the engineers Eugenio Prassone, Umberto Nobile and Colonel Gaetano Crocco. Designated and advertised as the Model T-34, it was the first project of the ''Stabilimento Costruzioni Aeronautiche'' ("Aeronautical Construction Factory"), for the partnership of Nobile, Usuelli, Croce and Giuseppe Valle. The T-34 was designed for trans-Atlantic crossings carrying up to 100 passengers, though initially fitted for 25. When constructed, ''Roma'' was the largest semi-rigid airship in the world.

As a semi-rigid design it was built about a rigid keel - though the keel was partially articulated to allow some flexibility. The passenger spaces and control cabin were within the keel. The engines, 400 hp Ansaldo 4E-2940 V-12s, were mounted outside, angled such that the slipstreams would not interfere with each other.

Service

''Roma'' made its first trial flight in September, 1920.
The airship was purchased by the United States Army Air Service for $184,000 (equivalent to $ million in ). During the inspection and delivery ceremonies in March, 1921, the Italians took the new owners of ''Roma'' on a demonstration flight from Rome to Naples and back. Aboard the dirigible were the US Ambassador to Italy, his wife and several Army officers. The passengers were served lunch while flying over the island of Capri.

The Army originally planned to fly ''Roma'' to the United States, but instead the airship was dismantled, packed in several crates and transported by ship, arriving in the US in August, 1921. When the Army unpacked the crates after their arrival at Langley Field, they found the airship's fabric outer cover had mildewed and weakened. After being reassembled with some difficulty by US Army Air Service crews at Langley, ''Roma'' flew in America for the first time on November 15, 1921, with minor problems. On a subsequent flight, a propeller disintegrated, ripped through the envelope and slashed open a gas bag. Fortunately, the dirigible managed to return to Langley Field safely.''Flight'' 29 December 1921 p.862

On December 21, 1921, during a flight to Washington, D.C., ''Roma'' experienced several engine breakdowns due to the extremely cold weather. After the return to Langley was made on only four engines, the original Italian Ansaldo engines were replaced with six Liberty L-12's.

Crash

On February 21, 1922, ''Roma'' crashed in Norfolk, Virginia during a test flight. The airship left Langley Field around 2:00 PM with 45 people on board, most of whom were US Army airmen. There were also a few civilians on board the flight, including mechanics and government observers. After lifting off from Langley, the pilot, Captain Dale Mabry, set a course along the shore of Chesapeake Bay that took the airship over Buckroe Beach, and Fort Monroe, before crossing Hampton Roads and passing over Willoughby Spit en-route to the Norfolk Navy Base. The crash of ''Roma'' was caused by failure of the airship's peculiar box rudder system, which allowed it to maneuver over tight areas. Witnesses on the ground reported seeing the entire box rudder slip sideways; suddenly uncontrollable, ''Roma'' flew straight into the ground at the Army's Norfolk Quartermaster Depot (now the location of Norfolk International Terminals) from an altitude of . Just before the bow struck the ground, the dirigible contacted high-voltage power lines and burst into flames. A total of 34 people were killed, 8 were injured, and 3 escaped unharmed. Among the dead was Captain Mabry. The crash of ''Roma'' marked the greatest disaster in the history of American aeronautics up to that time.

Master Sergeant Harry A. Chapman was given the Cheney Award for his heroics during the crash. He was the first recipient of the award, which was presented to him in 1928 by President Calvin Coolidge.

Although it was America's worst aviation disaster at the time, a century later the crash of ''Roma'' has largely faded into obscurity, nearly completely eclipsed by the ''Hindenburg'' disaster, which occurred 15 years later and effectively ended the airship era. The site at Langley Air Force Base where '' Roma's'' massive hangar once stood, is now a parking lot; it is still known as the "LTA" ("lighter than air") area, and Roma Road, inside the base, is named in remembrance of the ill-fated airship.

Specifications

References

Bibliography

*
*
* ''Tampa Times'', February 22, 1922. Page 1.
*

{{Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States before 1930

Airships of Italy
Airships of the United States
1920s Italian military trainer aircraft
Accidents and incidents involving balloons and airships
Aviation accidents and incidents in 1922
Aviation accidents and incidents in Virginia