In the tragedy of R38 it is the structural failure which happens to have attracted most attention. The tragic consequences which resulted from the structural failure were fatal almost solely because of fire.

The nature and causes of the structural failure are now well known, and in the science and art of hull design sufficient progress has been made to render future structural failure as improbable in an airship as in a ship at sea. It is fitting, therefore, that a large proportion of the essays submitted for the R38 Prize should describe work which has been done to eliminate the initial cause of failure.