London to Sydney by airship in 1926

What about small packs of high valuable items? The only thing I can think of, in the 1920s, are diamonds. Anything else that might benefit from benefit from not-so-slow boat travel, and be worth the expense in small packs? If today, I'd say rare earths, many processed titanium, but in the 1920s...
 
What about small packs of high valuable items? The only thing I can think of, in the 1920s, are diamonds. Anything else that might benefit from benefit from not-so-slow boat travel, and be worth the expense in small packs? If today, I'd say rare earths, many processed titanium, but in the 1920s...
Yeah, stuff like that. Documents, plans, blueprints, bonds, credit letters and stuff like that.
 
Time sensitive very confidential documents. Things you wouldn't trust to radio or telegram no matter how good you think your codes are.
 
For comparison of the estimated 15 day's travel time from London to Sydney here's real world travel times from London around the world circa 1914:

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Seems like India might be the best market initially.
 
That map gave me the random thought that in an Imperial Federation situation a trans-Atlantic link to help keep Canada full engaged would be another possibility. London to Gander - I'm simply using that for ease of reference since there isn't an air field yet - looks to be too long a distance with the westerly winds over the Atlantic, even Dublin might not be enough, Shannon to Gander could be a possibility. Which considering that the Dominion of Newfoundland was still around until 1949, although having given up self-rule fifteen years earlier, would be useful.
 
Initially yes, but longer term, 10+ years, it's the oceanic routes that the airships will make their own. Conventional aircraft just won't have the range. On a side note this could lead to Britain reintroducing the patrol blimps for areas like the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean where the extended range will be a god send and the threat from other aircraft is minimal. It would make life a lot more difficult for raiders and submarines.
 
For comparison of the estimated 15 day's travel time from London to Sydney here's real world travel times from London around the world circa 1914:


Seems like India might be the best market initially.

Are there enough interested people with $$$$$$$$$$$$ for regular flights there, in the mid 20s?...
 
Are there enough interested people with $$$$$$$$$$$$ for regular flights there, in the mid 20s?...

I'd say yes as there was a lot of money in India and this would be big for express mail service. But also by flying to India you get anybody going onward as this will still cut 5-10 days off a trip to Australia or SE Asia. Fly to Calcutta or wherever and then a ship onward. I just don't know if there's a sustained market for such expensive tickets or mail service in Australia.
 
Guano!

Wasn't there some kind of "guano boom" from some small islands around Australia? Used in the chemical and fertilizer industry? If I remember correctly this was extremely valuable. This would be a good cargo to bring back.
 
Guano!

Wasn't there some kind of "guano boom" from some small islands around Australia? Used in the chemical and fertilizer industry? If I remember correctly this was extremely valuable. This would be a good cargo to bring back.

That's just bat shit crazy :)

(Sorry couldn't resist)
 

Errolwi

Monthly Donor
Guano!

Wasn't there some kind of "guano boom" from some small islands around Australia? Used in the chemical and fertilizer industry? If I remember correctly this was extremely valuable. This would be a good cargo to bring back.

Useful by the boatload, surely, not by the kilo? And no particular need to move it in a hurry.
 
Initially yes, but longer term, 10+ years, it's the oceanic routes that the airships will make their own. Conventional aircraft just won't have the range. On a side note this could lead to Britain reintroducing the patrol blimps for areas like the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean where the extended range will be a god send and the threat from other aircraft is minimal. It would make life a lot more difficult for raiders and submarines.
And in a WW2 analogue perhaps as AEW RADAR platforms?
 
Well ten years. Though watson-Watt was busy experimenting with his lightning detecting radiogoniometer and had developed the conceptual basis for RADAR.

If you've got an R102 type airship capable of lifting five tons of freight and fifty people (roughly another five tons) you have a viable radar platform. Assuming they're not scrapped in the 30s
 
If you've got an R102 type airship capable of lifting five tons of freight and fifty people (roughly another five tons) you have a viable radar platform. Assuming they're not scrapped in the 30s
Yeah, and they're unlikey to be doing much else during the war. In fact it might save them from scrapping to recycle the aluminium, leaving them intact for pos-war nostalgia.
 
On the subject of RADAR, a little OT, maybe this ATL has more attention paid to 'Death Ray' Matthews (wiki), the man who might have invented a crude version of the cavity magnetron by trial and error as part of his radio-wave death ray device in 1923. Perhaps instead of his overblown claims for the device he (or someone else) progresses with the project and develops something useful.
 
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