Editing Short Brothers (section)

====Airships at Cardington====
In 1916, Short Brothers was awarded a contract to build two large [[dirigible]] [[airships]] for the [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]]. As part of the contract, a loan was provided to enable the company to purchase a site near [[Cardington, Bedfordshire]], on which to build airship construction facilities. As a result, the company concentrated on the construction of heavier-than-air aeroplanes in the Isle of Sheppey/Rochester area, and balloons and dirigibles at Cardington. A housing estate built by the company near Cardington to house its employees still bears the name [[Shortstown]].<ref>Barnes & James 1989, p. 15</ref> In 1919, the name of the company was changed to Short Brothers (Rochester and Bedford) Ltd., but nationalisation the same year ended the Short brothers' involvement with the company, which became the [[Cardington, Bedfordshire|Royal Airship Works]].