Post by willi1 on Jun 25, 2020 16:28:36 GMT
ZPG-3W was an American blimp type, which was built for the US Navy by the company Goodyear in the late 1950s. The airships were developed in the Cold War as part of the U.S. early warning system to counter Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles and were deployed by NAS Lakehurst over the Atlantic Ocean. The ZPG-3W ships are still the largest blimps ever built and had a lifting gas volume of around 39,555 cubic meters (1,465,000 cft) with a length of around 122.8 m (403 ft). The total envelope volume was 42,936 cubic meters (1,516,000 cft), with a largest diameter of 25.9 m (85 ft). The period of use was planned to be up to 80 hours, but refueling was also possible in the air. The crew consisted of a maximum of 26 people.
Two Wright R-1820-88 radial engines, each with 1120 kW (1525 HP) in external engine nacelles, powered three-blade tractor propellers, a top speed of 130 km / h (80 mph) was reached.
Inside the helium-filled envelope was a 12.2 m (40 foot) APS 70 search radar antenna.
In 1961 the airships were taken out of service and scrapped. Two ZPG-3W have been preserved for some time for research purposes and have now also become scrap.
Two Wright R-1820-88 radial engines, each with 1120 kW (1525 HP) in external engine nacelles, powered three-blade tractor propellers, a top speed of 130 km / h (80 mph) was reached.
Inside the helium-filled envelope was a 12.2 m (40 foot) APS 70 search radar antenna.
In 1961 the airships were taken out of service and scrapped. Two ZPG-3W have been preserved for some time for research purposes and have now also become scrap.
A gondola still exists in the National Air and Space Museum inventory at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Aircraft Cemetery.
