The airships are aerospace vehicles that get most of their lifting capability from aerostatic or buoyant lift, using gases which are lighter than air. They were widely used in the first half of the 20th century, for a variety of purposes. During this period the airships were employed for military applications by the US Army performing search and patrol operations.
In 1921 the US Army acquired the Italian semi-rigid airship “Roma”, the largest semi-rigid airship in the world. After its crash in 1922, the US started to use helium instead of hydrogen as the lifting gas.
Another important Italian airship in the history was the semi-rigid airship “Norge” (Figure 1 1) that carried out what many consider the first verified over flight of the North Pole on May 12, 1926. Norge was the first N class semi rigid airship, designed by Umberto Nobile, and it was the first Italian airship to be provided with a four empennages cruciform tail (“cross” configuration).
Airships were also used for commercial passenger-carrying. For example the “Akron” airship in 1931 could carry 270 persons and 5 fighters for a …show more content…
It was characterized by a length of about 245m, an envelope volume of 200 000m3 and a maximum speed of 140km/h. The Hindenburg disaster took place in 1937 and was the subject of spectacular newsreel coverage and photographs, destroying the idea of airship safety. This event represented the end of the huge rigid airship time. However during and after the second world war the US Navy continued to use the airships for military purposes: at first as a weapon against the submersibles and later for the “early warning” radar system (the radars were collocated inside the airship envelope in order to be protected by the weather, to be hidden and to reduce the
In 1921 the US Army acquired the Italian semi-rigid airship “Roma”, the largest semi-rigid airship in the world. After its crash in 1922, the US started to use helium instead of hydrogen as the lifting gas.
Another important Italian airship in the history was the semi-rigid airship “Norge” (Figure 1 1) that carried out what many consider the first verified over flight of the North Pole on May 12, 1926. Norge was the first N class semi rigid airship, designed by Umberto Nobile, and it was the first Italian airship to be provided with a four empennages cruciform tail (“cross” configuration).
Airships were also used for commercial passenger-carrying. For example the “Akron” airship in 1931 could carry 270 persons and 5 fighters for a …show more content…
It was characterized by a length of about 245m, an envelope volume of 200 000m3 and a maximum speed of 140km/h. The Hindenburg disaster took place in 1937 and was the subject of spectacular newsreel coverage and photographs, destroying the idea of airship safety. This event represented the end of the huge rigid airship time. However during and after the second world war the US Navy continued to use the airships for military purposes: at first as a weapon against the submersibles and later for the “early warning” radar system (the radars were collocated inside the airship envelope in order to be protected by the weather, to be hidden and to reduce the