Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford The Deadly Airship Race
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Nov 29, 2019 Dive into a gripping tale of rivalry where two design teams compete to create the ultimate airship, leading to ambitious designs teetering on disaster. Explore the design flaws of the opulent R101 and the pressures that turned innovation into tragedy. As weather worsens, ambition clashes with nature, pushing the crew to their limits. Finally, witness the harrowing crash that left a lone survivor, highlighting the stakes of competition in the pioneering days of aviation.
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Thompson's Vision
- Lord Thompson, Air Minister, envisioned airships as luxurious hotels in the sky.
- He imagined them transporting elites across the British Empire.
A Symbolic Rivalry
- The competition between two airship designs became a symbolic clash of economic systems.
- The R100 was dubbed the "capitalist" airship, while the R101 was the "socialist" one.
R100's Challenges
- The R100 team faced budget constraints, a leaky shed, and a distant location.
- They also resented the Air Ministry's control over the competition.