Airship Tech: Scientists Shed Light on the Last 'Flying Aircraft Carrier' Crash
Like its sister ship, the USS Akron (shown here flying over the city of San Francisco), the USS Macon was a familiar sight across the United States. Thousands of people would turn out to observe the “flying aircraft carrier” conducting training maneuvers. The USS Macon was constructed with a built-in aircraft hangar and a trapeze launch and recovery system to facilitate fighter planes intended to protect the aircraft in war.Image source: PhysOrg.com / Wiley Collection, Monterey Maritime and History Museum
Via PhysOrg.com.
The 1935 crash of the Navy zeppelin USS Macon off the California coast marked an inglorious end to a unique experiment in aviation. Four times longer than a modern Goodyear blimp, the Macon could carry 100 crewmembers, including pilots specially trained to fly small reconnaissance airplanes stowed in the zeppelin's massive hull. The giant airship was one of only two ''flying aircraft carriers'' ever built, and both went down in the ocean without ever seeing combat.More here.
In September 2006, 71 years after the Macon plunged into the Pacific, a team of marine researchers, including engineers from Stanford University, conducted the first comprehensive survey of the airship's final resting place on the floor of Monterey Bay more than 1,000 feet below sea level.
The story of the Macon and the Navy's ill-fated zeppelin program has long fascinated military historians and aircraft aficionados. Over the years, a surprising number of faculty, students and alumni from the Stanford School of Engineering have played a crucial role in bringing that story to light.
posted by Fergie @ 10/18/2006 12:32:00 PM
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