Work started on the R38 by Shorts in 1919 but wasn't completed until 1921 after they had returned to Rochester. The whole airship programme had been dramatically cut at the end of the First World War and due to severe financial constraints it was agreed that the US would purchase this airship with their personnel to be trained in the UK. The ship would then be flown back to America with a US crew. The airship left Cardington in June 1921 and flew to Howden for further testing. During a test flight on August 24th with a half American, half British crew the ship crashed in the River Humber near Hull claiming 44 lives leaving just five survivors. It is known that the R38 held trial flights in Shortstown and Howden and it is highly likely that some of the British crew stayed in Shortstown at the time. It is a very sad fact that very little is remembered about this airship in Bedford today but news of the crash and subsequent loss of lives must have been a devastating blow to the people who had worked on the ship from 1919-1921.

These workers included draughtsmen, engineers, carpenters, riggers and many others some of whom would have lived in the newly built houses in Shortstown. There would also have been teams of women cleaning and gluing together the moleskins which made up the outer skin of the ship.