Airships

[Wolf Rider]

What were the advantages (If any) of airships over airplanes in the early-mid 20th century (1900-1940s)?

The way I see it there are five categories that it could be superior in:

Speed
Safety
Fuel Efficiency
Passenger Capacity
Production Cost

Please add more if you think of them.

I think we can be certain that the first two were not Airship's strong points. I believe the trip time across the Atlantic for airships was several days, while planes could do it in much less, and the Hindenburg disaster shows how dangerous airships could be.

So, what were the advanteges of airships?

 

[Lockesdonkey]

Actually, airships could be much safer than aircraft if inert helium rather than reactive hydrogen were used as the lifting gas. They might even be safer than airplanes, on account of their low speeds.

I don't know about passenger capacity, but airships were certainly a heckuvalot more comfortable for passengers than any plane then or now flying--Air Force One and the ridiculous flying palaces of Gulf princes included. On account of their slow speed, airships--particularly transatlantic airships--modeled themselves on the great ocean liners of their day (the Essen and Bremen, the Normandie, and the Queen Mary being the most notable) in terms of service and amenities: sleeping cabins, a dining room, observation deck, etc.

 

[xchen08]

The safety record of Helium airships isn't anything to write home about either: witness the history of American Zepplins despite all of them being helium filled. The big gasbags are just too vulnerable to weather conditions.

The main advantage early on would be lift capacity and range, both of which would remain, albeit ever reduced until the jet age.

As a sidenote, 1900s would be the 20th Century.

 

[Cutlass]

Before the 1940s long range passenger aircraft were not really in existence. In the `30s there were flying boats being built for mid range transport. And that was an era of very rapid increases in the ability of aircraft. But before the late 30s long range was pretty well not available. After WWII, of course, big (for that time) 4 engine planes that could reliably cross oceans were available. But it took the jet engines of the `50s and `60s to really bring long range airplanes into their own.

 

[Wolf Rider]

As a sidenote, 1900s would be the 20th Century.

Thanks. I'll change that.

 

[Dragonlord]

Airships have definite advantages regarding fuel efficiency and lifting power - which is why there are proponents of an airship renaissance today; not so much for passengers, because for those speed is usually the overriding factor, but for certain kinds of freight. There airships have all kinds of advantages: relatively fast, cheap and they don't need roads or rails.
I think that will happen, sooner or later, though the first start-up I know of went bankrupt.

 

[Lockesdonkey]

Airships have definite advantages regarding fuel efficiency and lifting power - which is why there are proponents of an airship renaissance today; not so much for passengers, because for those speed is usually the overriding factor,

I've heard that sky cruises might get some traction, though. You could be in a cruise ship over mountains or green fields and hills or a forest or whatever. It could sell, especially given that the land is (usually) a great deal more interesting than the sea.

 

[Furiey]

I live near the airship hangers at cardington where the R100 and R101 were housed. Although they are largely used for film work now (eg: the batman and bond films) as they offer such a large enclosed space, there have been small firms building airships there since I was a teenager. They come and go, but you can usually see a small airship of some kind tethered there although I'm not sure if they currently do tours to London.

link to info on airship manufacturers

The airship sheds at Cardington

The links on the left of the cardington site give info and various airships and other information.