Albatross (Master of the World)
The Albatross was an enormous heavier-than-air ship designed and built by Robur, and which he used to abduct John Strock, Mr. Prudent, his daughter, Dorothy, and Prudent's business partner Phillip Evans.
Invented by Robur as his primary weapon, it was an electric-powered airship kept aloft by a variety of means. In addition to the balloon portion it was pulled through the air by a huge front propeller and also has several rows of top-mounted propeller shafts. Described as "a ship of the air" in every sense with staterooms, cabins, kitchen and crew, its primary weapon was its bomb bay, from which Robur could bombard targets on the ground. It also had cannons. Weighing in at several tons, Robur boasted it would weigh more if its main parts weren't constructed by clay-impregnated paper squeezed in a hydraulic press.
Using the Albatross, Robur hoped to imposed forced peace upon the world by threatening to use its destructive power unless the different nations capitulated. The navies of the United States and Great Britain chose to fight back against him, although he easily destroyed them. While intervening in a civil war in Egypt, however, Robur flew too close to the ground and the Albatross was damaged by explosions. It almost crashed into a mountain as it escaped, but helmsman Alistair was able to successfully clear the peaks.
Whilst the ship was moored at an island for repairs, Strock and Evans made their bid to destroy the vessel by blowing up its armory after getting Dorothy and her father safely off of the ship and onto the island. After setting the armory's powder kegs to explode, the two men slid down the mooring line, and were shot at by Turner until they dislodged the anchor and sent the Albatross flying away from the island uncontrollably. The armory exploded and the Albatross landed in the ocean, sinking with all hands aboard.
Comments
- In the novel Master of the World, Robur instead used the Terror. The name and general description of the Albatross used in the film are instead taken from the one in Jules Verne's earlier novel, Robur the Conqueror.
