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Up Ship - Naval Lighter Than Air

PhrogPhlyer

Two heads are better than one.
pilot
None
The Akron and Macon had a very unique internal hanger for the F-9C's.
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Griz882

Frightening children with the Griz-O-Copter!
pilot
Contributor
Even the LTA ships were impressive in their size. The picture below is of a crew gondola for a post-WW-2 ship. It is massive, the top portion contains racks and a galley for the crew!

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PhrogPhlyer

Two heads are better than one.
pilot
None
I don't know if any other aviators on these forums participate in sim flying, I do, and it allows me to revisit aircraft I flew and those I wish I had.
Another aspect of flight simming is the ability to participate in history, or to share in specific interests such as LTA.
Below are a few example screenshots from the LTA world, done in FSX (Microsoft Flight Sim X).

Lakehurst
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K-112 Historical Recreation Flight
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USS Macron Historical Recreation Flight
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Flying a K-ship to the old Miegs Field after an evening flight from Lakehurst.
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K-ship Interior
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Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
They're buried somewhere in one of the photography threads, but I believe Heyjoe posted a pic or two of Masterbates flying the Navy's last (?) LTA over the bay at Pax in 20-something.

I posted one or two of these before some where here, but I think they were lost in the great Photobucket collapse, so here they are again. At the time, this was the oldest aircraft still technically intact at AMARG.

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Any my personal favorite...demonstrating that even back then, pilot relief was more advanced than in the 2020's.

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Griz882

Frightening children with the Griz-O-Copter!
pilot
Contributor
It strikes me that LTA might be a better platform for the NC3 job than either the E-6 or EC-130. Can stay airborne for days and can carry multiple crews. Besides, it would get those our poor shipmates out of Oklahoma.
 

PhrogPhlyer

Two heads are better than one.
pilot
None
It strikes me that LTA might be a better platform for the NC3 job than either the E-6 or EC-130. Can stay airborne for days and can carry multiple crews.
The issue has never been LTA's superior ability to do the job, it has been, as with everything in the service, who gets the dollars.
In the case of LTA, there was a major level battle for dollars between LTA and BBs.
Needless to say who had more political clout and won that battle.
Unfortunately for LTA in general; people, congress included. think of two things when you talk LTA 1)Hindenburg = Dangerous, 2) Goodyear Blimp = interesting, but not really necessary.
Holds true to this very day.
 

PhrogPhlyer

Two heads are better than one.
pilot
None
One of the myriad interesting side stories to the Naval LTA saga is the role the K=84 shared during the Operation Plumbbob, nuclear tests.
Another detailed story for a future thread response.

Here is the K-84 on August 7, 1957 following the Stokes blast. Approx. 5 miles from the actual detonation.
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