Warbird Information Exchange

Uuuuh - I know there was a big blimp base in Florida that an intrepid group of volunteers and ex-navy types are trying to get going as a museum!

This is a tough one

Okay I'm goping to ask the obvious question that none of them are USS Akron or Macon ??

hmm,...this is a hard one...(need a Moxie)

TNZ

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Bringing ANZAC Nieuport's to life

No Akron or Macon here. They were both dirigables, these are definitely the much smaller blimps but thats the limit of my knowledge of gasbags

Second photo is the ZMC-2, the Navy's all metal airship. (Didn't Clive Cussler use one in one of his novels?)

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

Number three: Prototype of the L-class blimps (which includes the "ghost ship" L- 8)?

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

That should have been L-8. Ghost in the system?

_________________

All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

Good stuff, this is an overlooked are in aviation history for certain. The first picture is probably of a J ship or J-4 to be specific. The J ships were built just after WWI and were the first twin engine coastal patrol airships designed to protect an isolationist nation. J-3 was notably destroyed loking for survivors of the Akron, while J-4 was fitted with the enclosed control car seen and ended her days at Lakehurst in 1940. A 13 year career. The one in the backround might be an early "L" ship as L 1 was comleted in 1938 and was tested at Lakehurst..

The second was the famous pressure rigid metalclad ZMC-2. The aircraft in fact is alumnum skined, but maintains shape through pressue, so its not really a rigid either. In any case she flew from 1929 to 1941, an incredible achievement for an experimental airship.

Picture three was a "K" ship. The first, K-1 was a development ship, so K-2 was the definitive type prototype and following her were 132 more. These were the reason for all of the large "blimp" hangars built on the american coastline during the war. Many rescues, anti U Boat patrols and other operations were critical for the blimp before the advent of helicopters.

The last one has to be a ZPG-2W or 2G, of which there were about 10 made. The control cars in storage at the Weeks mseum may be from one of these. I don't know the relavance of the date regarding the shot, but most of them were shut down inlate 1961 early 1962. Interestingly a blimp could follow a diesel electric sub and wait for them to surface by 'attacking the battery". The blimp could track a Nuclear sub with towed sonar, but had no offensive weapon to bring it to the surface. Perhaps earlier development of the Mark 48 would have kept them around longer...

enjoyed the Quiz, keep them coming!