WWII Navy Blimp Gondola Types

[JohnB]

In 1940, Goodyear gave (sold?) all its advertising blimps to the Navy...and their crews enlisted to operate them.

That's quite a display, I'll have to visit the next time I'm in the northeast.

[astixjr]

Great photos! Thanks for posting. I have a great deal to learn on this subject. To be honest, it was just a passing interest until the visit of the Airship Industries 600 last week. I have not been up close to a blimp since the Goodyear stopped at the old Arrowhead Airport here in St. Louis back in the early to mid-1970s. I had heard that St. Louis Car Company built some gondolas during WWII but I still have not found any photos of them under construction. There are a few photos of the PT-19s and -23s being constructed but so far, no photos of the gondolas being built.

[armyjunk2]

Photos 41,42 and 43 show the gondola's at Pensacola http://www.cdsg.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=337

[Jerry O'Neill]

That big blimp gondola either the damage outside at Pensecola looks like a ZPG-2 or ZPG-3 gondola.?

[Left Seat]

It would be interesting to find out where they got the surplus Navy envelopes for the 1985 Piasecki PA-97 Heli-Stat.

You might be able to restore a complete blimp.

And NAS Tillimook blimp hanger is up for grabs.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piasecki_PA-97#/image/File:USN_Piasecki_Helistat_1985.jpg

http://www.piasecki.com/heavylift_pa97.php

Last edited by Left Seat on Tue Sep 30, 2014 2:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[JohnB]

It would be interesting to find out where they got the surplus Navy envelopes for the 1985 Piasecki PA-97 Heli-Stat.

They were surplus from the 50s, IIRC.
Which reminds me...when the NMUSAF & NAM restore stuff I know they have to ask for the public's help with some parts, but other stuff they seemingly have on a shelf somewhere.

They most have some neat old stuff in a warehouse...

[Left Seat]

154 airships were built for the U.S. Navy between 1942 until 1945.

133 K-class blimps
10 L-class blimps
7 G-class blimps
4 M-class blimps

Many of the west coast WWII blimps were shipped deflated by rail to NAS Moffett Field for deployment. The last Moffet Field blimp was deflated in 1947. It's envelope could have be shipped anywhere.

The Piasecki Heli-Stat used a post war "N" class ZPG-2W envelope.

The last 2 east coast blimps, ZPG-3Ws, were decommissioned in 1962.

That is a lot of envelopes. I would think that they would not have much recycling value. It is surprising that there would be surviving envelopes 20-25 years old laying around, considering that rubber deteriorates rather quickly (even with the silver protective coating).

Considering that the size of a deflated envelope is about the size of a railroad flat car, I would think a survivor would not be easily misplaced.

Still, finding one may be a major coup... provided that it didn't crumble away.

By the way, I think one would be nuts to think an original envelope could be made airworthy again.

http://www.moffettfieldmuseum.org/photos/showimg.php?file=/Blimps/last_blimp.jpg

[wls3]

"...The last 2 east coast blimps, ZPG-3Ws, were decommissioned in 1962."

This was taken with my first camera, July 62, not too far from Lakehurst, NJ.

[Left Seat]

Various sources seem to cite:

"Airship ZPG-2 <BuNo 141559 as making> the last flight for a U.S. Navy airship on August 31, 1962"

Can you make out the number on your photo?

[tom d. friedman]

is that an actual turret where the .30 / .50 caliber gun is?!?! what were the designers thinking, shooting spit wads through a straw?? they may as well used the Oscar mayer weinie mobile as an armored car!!

[Jerry O'Neill]

I think it was a .30 cal Tom.

[Pathfinder]

I would be willing to bet that the Weeks gondolas came from Mt. Holly, NJ. I believe they told me at P-cola that their example came from there as well.

There used to be an outdoor surplus place there run by a hermit named John Mahalchik, who lived in tin wigwam with a pet mule at the front gate. I met him in the late 70s and his place was hard to miss. The road side festooned with billboards proclaiming one political view or another, This place was massive and contained planes, rolling stock, field kitchens--the gondolas--and things he had acquired from several local Army and Navy bases. It made the Zaplotta collection look like a passing fancy. Mahalchik's place was simply overwhelming!

This link apparently shows the property when much of it went to auction....not even a fraction of what was there in the 70's.

http://www.spacesarchives.org/explore/c ... fty-acres/

[tom d. friedman]

any pic?? i'd love to see some that tops soplata's collection!!