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H class blimp

The H class blimps were observation airships built for the US Navy in the early 1920s. The design originated with a suggestion by Commander Lewis Maxfield (who was to have commanded the ZR-2, better known as the R38, and died in its crash) for a small airship which could be used either as a tethered kite balloon, or be towed by a ship until releasing its cable it would be able to scout on its own. The results was an airship similar to the later Army Motorized Kite Balloons.

Operational history

After test flights at Wingfoot Lake, the first in the class, H-1 was shipped to Rockaway in May 1921. During the summer of 1921 the H-1 completed 6 flights and, on its seventh, a hard landing pitched the crew out of the control car. H-1 free ballooned as far as Scardale, New York where a farmer was able to grab the rip cord and tie the blimp down. During the night it was deflated. The deflated H-1 was shipped back to Rockaway in time to be destroyed in the hanger fire of 31 August 1921.

A second H-type was acquired on a Navy contract but supplied directly to the US Army which operated it as the OB-1.

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: Two
• Length: 94 ft 10 in (28.91 m)
• Diameter: 32 ft 8 in (9.96 m)
• Height: 40 ft 10 in (12.45 m)
• Volume: 43,030 ft³ (1,218 m³)
• Useful lift: 1,146 lb (520 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Lawrence L-4, 60 hp (45 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 50 mph (80 km/h)
• Range: 400 miles (640 km)
• Endurance: 7 hours
• Service ceiling: 6,000 ft (1,830 m)

References

See also

Related lists

• List of airships of the United States Navy