In 1912 airships and balloons, powered and unpowered, were being developed to explore, to entertain, to travel, and to wage war. Aerostats (any lighter-than-air craft) remained highly sensitive to weather and many were floated by flammable hydrogen (at least until the destruction of the Hindenburg in May 1937) but despite the limitations, great hopes were placed on these frail craft.

» View the Aerostats Slide Show

7 Comments

1. 1. skyship007 04:19 PM 3/3/12

   Fascinating old airship pictures. If you like Zeppelins, blimps or the new hybrids, try Gasbags lighter than air comedy web site: 3w dott hybridblimp dott net
   The "Old bags" page might be of some interest if you like black and white pictures in particular.

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2. 2. Paladn 02:21 PM 3/5/12

   A. That's NOT the Akron.
   B. The Akron was NOT filled with Hydrogen and crashed from weather related causes.

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3. 3. brimartin10 10:35 AM 3/6/12

   @Paladn: There are at least two different Akron airships
   
   Melvin Vaniman's Akron, filled with Hydrogen and lost at sea in 1912.
   
   The US Navy's rigid ship Akron, which crashed in 1931 over the Atlantic (your Akron, filled with Helium).
   

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4. 4. Sinibaldi 11:32 AM 3/6/12

   Softly your memory...
   
   Like a
   luminous flower
   your delicate
   sadness returns
   near a white
   dream....
   
   Francesco Sinibaldi

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5. 5. Paladn 04:20 PM 3/7/12

   @brimartin10
   #Istandcorrected

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6. 6. Burlcl 05:14 PM 3/9/12

   Thesa old eyes saw the Hindenburg twice, once eastbound over central Mass. and onco westbound along the shore of Misquamicut RI. I asked for and got a ride on the Goodyear blimp, Puritan, at Miami, FL, for my tenth birthday.

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7. 7. Burlcl 05:17 PM 3/9/12

   Later that spring I saw newsreels of the hindenburg crash.

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