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Zmc-2
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The Aircraft Development Corporation ZMC-2 was the only successfully-operated metal-skinned Airship ever built. It was built in Grosse Ile, Michigan , first flown on August 19, 1929 , and flew safely for over ten years. As a sub-scale test vehicle, it was considered to be very successful, but the company that built it did not weather the Great Depression well, and by the time a successor might have been built, there was little interest in pursuing it. The US Navy classified it as a Non-rigid Airship .

The ZMC-2 was nicknamed the " Tin Bubble" and was also sometimes called a "tinship". It was not made of tin, but of Duraluminum , an Aluminum Alloy . It had roughly a teardrop-shape, and had eight small Stabilizer Fins , four of which had Rudders .

It was scrapped in 1941 , reaching its planned lifetime after more than 10 years of service. Other, more conventional Blimp s did go on to serve in World War 2 .


Specifications (ZMC-2)


General characteristics

  • Crew: Two

  • Volume: 5667 cu m (200,000 cu ft)

  • Length: 45.4 m (149 ft)

  • Width: 16.2 m (53 ft)

  • Height: m ( ft)

  • Empty: kg ( lb)

  • Loaded: kg ( lb)

  • Powerplant: Two Wright J-5 Whirlwind engines, 224 kW (300 hp)



Performance

  • Maximum speed: 112 km/h (70 mi/h)

  • Range: 1087 km (675 statute miles)




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