A bit funny, a bit frightening

[DrEntropy]

We have a fairly stiff breeze blowin' across the area here. I began hearing what sounded like a light aircraft with throttle to firewall above the hovel but it seemed to last too long in one place. Threw up the garage door and looked overhead to see the "MetLife" LTA thingie directly above and LOW. Likely at the 500 foot level. He was grinding air but moving sideways as fast and far as he was forward. :eeek: looked to be about a 45° crab to his direction of axis. That'd freak me out if I'd been aboard. Too much airbag and not nearly enuff control surface!

 

[NutmegCT]

Back in the 1930s there was a USNavy zeppelin landing normally, nose was tied in at the mast. But winds pushed it almost vertical, tail up.

Wish I could remember the name of the airship. There's a photo of that somewhere ...

There's a mention in Lady Drummond-Hay's journal of her 1929 round the world trip in the Graf Zeppelin, where she describes trying to eat dinner with the airship at a 30 degree angle (nose to tail) due to wind gusts. Yikes!

Tom

 

[Banjo]

Kirk: "I need more power Scotty!"
Scott: "I'm Givin' 'er all she's got Cap'n! She'll nay take na more!"

 

[NutmegCT]

Aha! Found it. The Los Angeles, USN zeppelin ZR-3. Lakehurst NJ, 1927. *double yikes*!

Memo to mess officer: Mix peas with mashed potatoes before serving.

 

[SaxMan]

Los Angeles was one of the few U.S. rigid airships that didn't suffer a terrible fate. IIRC, Shennandoah, Macon and Akron all either broke up or crashed. The Los Angeles was actually a German Zeppelin that was built for the U.S. Navy as part of the reparations for World War I.

 

[PAUL161]

Tom, I was stationed at Lakehurst in 56/57 in blimp squadron ZP-753. If the pressure watch falls asleep and the sun comes up, it can heat the bag enough to stand them up. It wasn't uncommon at all. We had the K bags with the single wheel under the gondola. We towed a "Fish" sonar looking for subs along the Jersey coast. The other squadrin next to us had Nan ships with two wheel landing gear. They were radar ships. The subs got faster and could out run a blimp, so that was their end of being useful. There's nothing that compares with a ride in a blimp, especally on a windy day. PJ

Oh I forgot to add, We actually had a galley on those ships and before every flight, the assigned cook would go to the station galley and pick up steaks, eggs, bacon etc. We ate like kings during every flight. Our skipper loved to eat! :highly_amused:

 

[NutmegCT]

Paul - this might bring back some memories:

https://www.neam.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=143

 

[George_H]

When I was very young I remember seeing a navy blimp. The thing I remember most is that it was ENORMOUS. Makes the goodyear blimp look like a party balloon.

 

[PC]

... Too much airbag and not nearly enuff control ...

Yeah, my wife says that about me, too.

 

[PAUL161]

Thanks Tom! That's a K bag gondola. I don't remember what the Navy designation was for them, we just called all the single wheels K bags. We used to have fun with a new guy coming in, they always wanted to see inside the upper structure. After taking him up inside we would tell him to look inside one of the helium chambers openings. After he got a good whiff of the stuff his voice would change and some of the guys really got upset, needless to say, we all had a big laugh. :highly_amused: PJ

 

[aeronca65t]

Paul may recall this: I lived near Lakehurst as a kid in the early 60s. They were still using blimps for something because I'd see them "buzzing" our house at what looked like about 10 mph.

Us kids would wave to the guys onboard and they'd wave back. Very cool!

My dear old Dad currently lives about 1/2 mile from Lakehurst NAS (now a joint base with Dix/McGuire). If I walk down the street from his house a short distance, I can see one of the blimp hangers that is still there.

My MGB at the entrance to Lakehurst NAS