The Spider

These photos are a short extract of the story of The Spider from the pioneering days of aircraft in the 1920s and 1930s… The aircraft started out life as KLM H-NADK. In 1927, it was sold to a Mr McIntosh who renamed it “Princess Xenia” and it was re-registered as G-EBTS. On 16th September 1927, he flew Princess Xenia with an Irish airman, Mr. James Fitzmaurice and Mr. Maurice Piercey, from Baldonnel Airfield in Dublin in an attempt at the first East to West transatlantic flight, but they were forced to return and landed on a County Kerry beach… McIntosh then made several attempts to fly from London to Karachi, crashing on the first trip on the return flight and on the second attempt failed, but a third was successful. A Mr. Bernard, a famous pilot of the time, bought the aircraft and flew to Karachi with a Mr. Elliot and the Duchess of Bedford. This trip took several months due to an emergency landing in the desert and an engine change…

Following this, the Duchess of Bedford bought the aircraft in 1928 and renamed it “The Spider”. The name was, according to Lettice Curtin in her book “Winged Odyssey”, after the famous spider that inspired Robert the Bruce to “try, try and try again”. The Duchess of Bedford, also known as the “Flying Duchess”, was already in her later years at this stage and over 60. With the Spider and Mr Bernard as pilot she flew again to Karachi. In 1929 they set the then record of seven and a half days to India and back to England. In 1930 She flew with The Spider to Capetown and back, setting a then record of 20 days… In 1931, The Spider toured England, giving joy rides at more than 134 stops… [3 years later], The Spider was sold to Sir Bossabhor Bumwandwallah in Bombay. This aircraft was finally broken up in 1937.

Text and photo collection by Andrew John Jones.