Old Boeing project

[sevenhelmet]

Lame idea, just a cold-war era wire-brush of the Akron-class dirigibles from the 1930s. Spoiler alert: those didn't work either.

Sometimes derivative technologies come out of some pretty hare-brained ideas though. It can be good to let engineers "explore the space" from time to time.

 

[nittany03]

I do wonder if the Akrons would have done better if WX forecasting had been more advanced in their day. Seems we don’t have a problem running the Goodyear blimp into lines of CBs.

 

[Gatordev]

I do wonder if the Akrons would have done better if WX forecasting had been more advanced in their day. Seems we don’t have a problem running the Goodyear blimp into lines of CBs.

Or the five kajillion tethered dirigibles we fly everyday, worldwide.

 

[wink]

They aren't truly dirigibles, are they? Ridged LTA?

 

[nittany03]

They aren't truly dirigibles, are they? Ridged LTA?

The current Goodyear Blimps are actually semi-rigid airships built by the Zeppelin Company itself.

Goodyear Blimp - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Gatordev]

They aren't truly dirigibles, are they? Ridged LTA?

I can't be bothered with facts or correct terminology. I'm a pilot.

 

[Jim123]

The current Goodyear Blimps are actually semi-rigid airships built by the Zeppelin Company itself.

Speaking of terminology, I wonder why nobody calls them flaccid airships instead?

 

[nittany03]

Speaking of terminology, I wonder why nobody calls them flaccid airships instead?

Because technically the new ones are permanently at half-mast . . .

 

[Brett327]

The current Goodyear Blimps are actually semi-rigid airships built by the Zeppelin Company itself.

Goodyear Blimp - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I have ridden in a Goodyear Blimp. I was four. It seemed cool at the time.

 

[Pags]

I have ridden in a Goodyear Blimp. I was four. It seemed cool at the time.

I worked with a guy who was one the reservists who got qualled to fly the blimp NAVAIR had a decade or so ago. He said the blimp pilot community is very small and tight. He also said flying it was a pretty unique experience.

 

[HAL Pilot]

I have ridden in a Goodyear Blimp. I was four. It seemed cool at the time.

Cool... and irrelevant.

Just saying...