Airships

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depends on the pressure created by a series of air diaphragms inside
its gas space to maintain the shape of its fabric hull. Inventors sought
to combine the best features of these models in a semirigid type, but it
met with only limited success. Today only the nonrigid airship is used.

Rigid Airship

The rigid airship's structure resembled a cage that enclosed a series of
balloons called gas cells. These cells were tailored to fit the
cylindrical space and were secured in place by a netting that transmitted
the lifting force of their gas to the structure. Each gas cell had two or
more valves, which operated automatically to relieve pressure when the gas
expanded with altitude, the valves could also be operated manually so that
the pilot could release gas whenever desired.

Also on board was a ballast system that used water as ballast. On the
ground this ballast served to make the airship heavier than air. When part
of it was released, the airship ascended to a cruising ...

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to stiffen the shape of the
envelope and create a smooth flying surface. On takeoff the ballonets are
almost fully inflated, but as the airship gains altitude and the gas
expands, air is bled from the ballonets while a constant pressure is
maintained throughout the envelope. When the gas contracts upon descent,
air is pumped back into the ballonets.

HISTORY OF RIGID AIRSHIPS

The German company Luftschiffbau Zeppelin had the most success in building
rigid airships. The first Zeppelin was flown on July 2, 1900; it was 419
ft long, 38 ft in diameter, contained 338,410 cu ft of hydrogen gas in 16
cells, and was powered by two 16-hp engines. Its range and payload were
negligible. The ...

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