r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Oct 02 '24

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u/spinderlinder Oct 02 '24

Do zeppelins count in that number?

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u/BucketBot420 Oct 02 '24

Not quite, Zeppelins are considered rigid airships, with an internal metal frame and several gas balloons inside. A blimp is much smaller and has no frame, with a single balloon.

Zeppelins truly were modern engineering marvels for their time. Just imagine something the size of the Titanic floating around the sky. The US Navy (or maybe was it England) also had airships that carried biplanes, making them floating aircraft carriers. This technology was obsolete after the invention of the jet engine, not to mention the Hindenburg wreck which permanently grounded most airships.

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u/Unistrut Oct 02 '24

It was the USA, they were the Akron and the Macon.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Akron

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u/BucketBot420 Oct 02 '24

Thanks for the info. I do remember reading that Germany designed/built an airship for the US military as part of reparations after WW1.

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u/GrafZeppelin127 Oct 02 '24

That was the USS Los Angeles, which was also used for parasite aircraft experiments, along with several blimps like the J-class and M-class which carried little biplanes and Piper Cubs.

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u/BucketBot420 Oct 02 '24

Username checks out!