urgent, and speed of construction was of primary importance. The
non-rigid design having been selected for simplicity in
construction, the expedient was tried of slinging the fuselage of
an ordinary B.E. 2C aeroplane, minus the wings, rudder and
elevators and one or two other minor fittings, beneath an
envelope with tangential suspensions, as considerable experience
had been gained already in a design of this type.

For this purpose the envelope of airship No. 2, which was lying
deflated in the shed at Farnborough, was rushed post haste to
Kingsnorth, inflated and rigged to the fuselage prepared for it.
The work was completed with such despatch that the airship
carried out her trial flight in less than a fortnight from
approval being granted to the scheme. The trials were in every
way most satisfactory, and a large number of ships of this design
was ordered immediately. At the same time two private firms were
invited to submit designs of their own to fulfil the Admiralty
requirements. One firm's design, S.S. 2, did not fulfil the
conditions laid down and was put out of commission; the other,
designed by Messrs. Armstrong, was sufficiently successful for
them to receive further orders. In addition to these a car was
designed by Messrs. Airships Ltd., which somewhat resembled a
Maurice Farman aeroplane body, and as it appeared to be suitable
for the purpose, a certain number of these was also ordered.

About this period the station at Farnborough was abandoned by the
Naval Airship Service to make room for the expansion of the
military aeroplane squadrons. The personnel and airships were
transferred to Kingsnorth, which became the airship headquarters.