FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1986
1986 - 1954.PDF
i^M-'MM mm i '••*'*"•>"• Hi 'V:':.'..-^'::. ; ;$;•;".. .?:M':-'::;ffev' • -:t 20 AEW Airships are back in fashion. Often used as advertising vehicles, they also frequently appear at all kind of events— from Olympic Games to Royal weddings. But more serious roles are needed if the airship industry is to thrive. The US Navy's intention to reintroduce airships as maritime surveil lance vehicles has, therefore, aroused much interest. Karen Walker reports. In 1963 the US Navy retired its four massive Goodyear ZPG-3W maritime surveillance airships, and thus ended its long history of airship operations. The airship industry went into the doldrums. The relationship looks set to be renewed in the 1990s. The USN has started a programme which could mark the return of airships to the Naval Air Fleet. If the project is followed through, the impli cations for the airship industry in general are wide. All of the companies now eagerly submitting their proposals for the Naval Airship Programme (Nasp) recognise the potential for developing large, civil vari ants after winning a lucrative military contract which will fund the building of a prototype. Small blimps may have estab lished themselves as alternative adver tising vehicles, or as carriers of small numbers of sightseers, but the Nasp project could lead the way for a return of the large passenger-carrying airship. On August 4 the Naval Air Develop ment Centre (NADC) at Warminster, Pennsylvania, issued its Request for Proposals. During the 45 days response time, the major companies expected to bid are Goodyear Aerospace, Boeing Military Airplane Company, and Westinghouse teamed with Airship Industries. Last year each of the competitors was awarded a six- month contract worth $650,000 to assess the practicalities of operating a large airborne radar system for airships, primarily to detect sea-skimming missile threats beyond the reach of shipboard radars. Study contracts worth $300,000 each were also awarded to Hughes Aircraft, Westinghouse, and RCA to develop the radar system. After considering the resulting studies, the NADC decided to continue with its venture. Although the Navy remains vague in its description of what is planned, it is thought to be interested in purchasing up to 75 airships, possibly in the 70,000m class. Under American law at least two prototypes will have to be built, and they will compete until the final winner is FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 16 August 1986
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
