Airships: Their Science, History and Future

Many people know about the blazing crash of the Hindenburg but not that it had made 62 previous flights. That crash did not end the airship era; blimps escorted convoys during World War II and were involved in air defense systems in the 1950s and 60s. There are airships still flying or being built.

This book examines the science and engineering aspects of this branch of aviation history, covering how airships worked and how they failed as a result of design flaws, weather, and operational errors. The chapters are organized on a functional basis (lift, propulsion, materials, ground handling, etc.) rather than chronologically. Airship failures are discussed in a similar way. The final chapter speculates about both future airship designs and future airship missions.