Construction of the USS Shenandoah (ZR-1), 1923, showing the framework of a rigid airship.

A rigid airship is a type of airship in which the envelope retains its shape by the use of an internal structural framework rather than by being forced into shape by the pressure of the lifting gas within the envelope as used in blimps and semi-rigid airships. Photo #: NH 82262 USS Shenandoah (ZR-1) Under construction inside the airship hangar at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey, 1923. ... Photo #: NH 82262 USS Shenandoah (ZR-1) Under construction inside the airship hangar at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey, 1923. ... ZR-1 at the mooring mast The USS Shenandoah was the first of four United States Navy rigid airships. ... USS Akron (ZRS-4) in flight, November 2, 1931 An airship is a buoyant aircraft that can be steered and propelled through the air. ... An envelope is a thin paper container formed by folding a sheet of paper and securing the edges, and is the major staple consumable of a letterpost service. ... Blimp is an informal term typically applied to non-rigid airships. ...

Rigid airships were successfully produced and employed in the 1920's and 1930's, but their heyday ended when the Hindenburg caught fire on June 6, 1937. LZ 129 Hindenburg was a German zeppelin that was destroyed by fire while approaching a mooring mast at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey on May 6, 1937. ...

Terminology

Although "rigid airship" is the proper formal term, these aircraft are often referred to in casual use by several other names such as dirigibles, zeppelins (after the most successful ships of this type built by the Zeppelin Company) or the big rigids. Airbus A380 An aircraft is any machine capable of atmospheric flight. ... Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH is a German company which, during the early 20th century, was a leader in the design and manufacture of rigid airships. ...

Early days

The design was first proposed by Schwartz and was bought by Count Zepplin who commercialised it with his Zeppelin company which to this lends its name to the design.

Production

As well as the Zeppelin company, SL also manufactured them. Both America and Britain have manufactured rigid airships at some point. Motto: E pluribus unum (1789 to 1956) (Latin: Out of Many, One) In God We Trust (1956 to present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at federal level; English de facto Government • President • Vice President Federal republic George...

Modern Rigids

There are no rigid airships flying today. The Zeppelin company refers to their NT ship as a "rigid" but this is a misnomer. The envelope shape is retained only in part by super-pressure of the lifting gas, and so the NT is more correctly classified as a semi-rigid.