List of airships of the United States Navy

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List of airships of the United States Navy identifies the airships of the United States Navy by type, identification, and class.

Rigid airships

In the background, ZR-3, in front of it, (l to r) J-3 or 4, K-1, ZMC-2, in front of them, "Caquot" observation balloon, and in foreground free balloons used for training. US Navy airships and balloons, 1931

Metal rigid airships

• ZMC-2, a metalclad-airship built by the Aircraft Development Corp - 1929-41 (scrapped)

Fabric-clad rigid airships

• (ZR-1) Shenandoah - 1923-25 (lost due to structural failure in line squalls)
• (ZR-2) (see below) - 1921 (lost due to control inputs far in excess of structural strength)
• (ZR-3) Los Angeles - Only German-built (as LZ 126) US Navy rigid airship, served 1924-39 (decommissioned, 1932 and dismantled, 1940)
• Akron class
  • (ZRS-4) Akron - aircraft carrier 1931-33 (lost in a storm 1933)
  • (ZRS-5) Macon - aircraft carrier 1933-35 (lost due to structural failure)

ZR-2 was under contract from Britain, where construction had been started on it as the R38. ZR-2 was contracted for in October 1919 while under construction but crashed in 1921 before the US Navy could take delivery of it and did not officially receive its US designation, though it was painted in accordance with its planned Navy designation. On the fourth test flight of R-38, severe control inputs at low altitude and high speed cause the structural failure of the airship with the loss of the majority of the crew.^[1] Sixteen of the men killed were USN training to fly the ship back to Cape May, NJ.^[2]

Semi-rigid airships

• O-1 Airship, purchased from Italy

Blimps (non-rigid airships)

• A class blimp (experimental)
• B class blimp (patrol & training)
• C class blimp (patrol)
• D class blimp (patrol)
• E class blimp (trainer)
• F class blimp (trainer)
• G class blimp (trainer & utility airship) (ZNN-G^[3]) (ZGT)
  • (ZPG-2, ZPG-2W)
• H class blimp (observation)
• J class blimp (trainer)
• K-1 blimp (experimental) (ZNP-K)
• K class blimp (anti-submarine patrol) (ZNP-K)
  • (ZSG-2); (ZSG-3); (ZSG-4); (ZP5K)
• L class blimp (trainer) (ZNN-L)
• M class blimp (anti-submarine patrol) (ZNP-M)
• N class blimp (anti-submarine patrol & AEW) (ZPN-1. ZPG-1)
  • ZPG-3W, largest blimp ever built
• TC class blimp - transferred from US Army
• MZ-3A (experimental) first Navy airship in 40 years

See also

• British Blimps operated by the USN
• French Blimps operated by the USN
• Piasecki PA-97
• US Army airships

Footnotes

1. Higham, Robin, "The British Rigid Airship, 1908-1931 A study in weapons policy," London, G.T. Foulis & Co Ltd. p. 222, 1961
2. Althoff, William F., "Sky Ships," New York, Crown Publications, p. 17, 1990, ISBN 0-517-56904-3
3. Grossnick, Roy A., "Kite Balloons to Airships. . . the Navy's Lighter-than-air Experience,", Washington, Government Printing Office, 1986

References

• Allen, Hugh, "The Story of the Airship (non-rigid), Akron, Ohio, 1943
• Althoff, William F., "Sky Ships" New York, Orion Books, 1990, ISBN 0-517-56904-3
• Grossnick, Roy A., "Kite Balloons to Airships. . . the Navy's Lighter-than-air Experience,", Washington, Government Printing Office, 1986
• Higham, Robin, "The British Rigid Airship, 1908-1931 A study in weapons policy," London, G.T. Foulis & Co Ltd.
• Mowthorpe, Ces, "Battle Bags," Phoenix Mill, Far Thrupp, Stroud, Gloucestershire, England, Allan Sutton Publishing, 1995
• Shock, James R., "U.S. Navy Airships 1915-1962, Edgewater, Florida, Atlantis Productions, 2001, ISBN 0-9639743-8-6
• Vaeth, J. Gordon, "Blimps & U-Boats", Annapolis, Maryland, US Naval Institute Press, 1992, ISBN 1-55750-876-3
• Ventry, Lord & Kolesnik, Eugen M., "Airship Saga," Poole, Dorset, Britain, Blandford Press, 1982, ISBN 0713710012