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From what I read about airships' use in the 1920s, high winds aren't a serious problem, but unexpected storms can be, because they can't maneuver out of the sto
by billswift 15y ago
From what I read about airships' use in the 1920s, high winds aren't a serious problem, but unexpected storms can be, because they can't maneuver out of the storm's path as well as a heavier-than-air craft. Most of the US Navy's airships were lost to relatively small, local storms if I am remembering correctly. Which would be a plus for high latitude use, since their are fewer storms there.
- deleted 15y ago[deleted]
- tsotha 15y agoThe US airships were overly susceptible to bad weather because they were based on a wartime German design in which airworthiness had been sacrificed for altitude. From here: http://sped2work.tripod.com/zeppelins.html http://sped2work.tripod.com/zeppelins.html "Unknown to the French and American engineers at the time the height climbers were made from thinner gauge material and, except for the machine guns, stripped of armaments and even one engine. They did not realize they were being specially built in response to mounting losses and were super risky to fly, being very much on the edge of sound structural rigidity. The Americans copied the L-49 almost exactly not knowing how close the Germans had pushed the boundaries of minimal structures and a major reason she, the Shenandoah, broke up in bad weather."