The Western Australian Museum acknowledges and respects the Traditional Owners of their ancestral lands, waters and skies.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this digital guide may include images, sounds, and names of now deceased persons.

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A black‑and‑white photograph of the large British airship R101 flying low over an open field. The airship’s streamlined hull dominates the frame, displaying its registration markings “R101” and “G‑FAAW” along the side. Several small ground handling crews and groups of spectators are visible far below, scattered across the field. The landscape stretches into the distance with trees, farmland, and a hazy sky at dawn or dusk.

R101 Airship

Photo Gallery

This photo gallery offers a small selection of images that reveal brief moments of life at sea. Each photograph offers a glimpse of the ship as she appeared in her time and the world she sailed through.

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A black‑and‑white photograph of the airship R101 hovering low above an open field. The long, streamlined hull displays the markings “R101” and “G‑FAAW” along its side, with stabilising fins visible at the tail. Below, a herd of cattle grazes in the grassy paddock. At the right of the image stands a tall metal mooring mast, and beyond the field a line of trees and small buildings can be seen under a hazy sky.
R101 at mast
Public Domain
A black‑and‑white photograph of the British airship R101 in flight against a light, cloudy sky. The long, streamlined hull is shown side‑on, displaying the markings “R101,” “G‑FAAW,” and the tail identifier “G.” The airship’s fins and gondolas are visible beneath the envelope, and the craft appears to be cruising smoothly at altitude with no ground features in view.
R101 in flight
Victor A. Chapman, c1929 (Public Domain)
Black‑and‑white photograph showing the wreckage of a large airship collapsed across an open field. The metal framework lies twisted and broken, with sections of the structure bent at sharp angles and scattered across the ground. Groups of onlookers stand nearby, some in coats and hats, observing the devastation from various distances. Trees line the horizon under an overcast sky, giving the scene a somber, quiet atmosphere.
R101 wreckage
Public Domain
A black‑and‑white photograph of the airship R101 hovering low above an open field. The long, streamlined hull displays the markings “R101” and “G‑FAAW” along its side, with stabilising fins visible at the tail. Below, a herd of cattle grazes in the grassy paddock. At the right of the image stands a tall metal mooring mast, and beyond the field a line of trees and small buildings can be seen under a hazy sky.
A black‑and‑white photograph of the British airship R101 in flight against a light, cloudy sky. The long, streamlined hull is shown side‑on, displaying the markings “R101,” “G‑FAAW,” and the tail identifier “G.” The airship’s fins and gondolas are visible beneath the envelope, and the craft appears to be cruising smoothly at altitude with no ground features in view.
Black‑and‑white photograph showing the wreckage of a large airship collapsed across an open field. The metal framework lies twisted and broken, with sections of the structure bent at sharp angles and scattered across the ground. Groups of onlookers stand nearby, some in coats and hats, observing the devastation from various distances. Trees line the horizon under an overcast sky, giving the scene a somber, quiet atmosphere.
A black‑and‑white photograph of the large British airship R101 flying low over an open field. The airship’s streamlined hull dominates the frame, displaying its registration markings “R101” and “G‑FAAW” along the side. Several small ground handling crews and groups of spectators are visible far below, scattered across the field. The landscape stretches into the distance with trees, farmland, and a hazy sky at dawn or dusk.

1929, 14 October - R101 on the day of its first flight
Public Domain

The Western Australian Museum acknowledges and respects the Traditional Owners of their ancestral lands, waters and skies.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this digital guide may include images, sounds, and names of now deceased persons.