Comments on: U.S.S. Akron (ZRS-4) and U.S.S. Macon (ZRS-5)

By: Frank Morgan

Frank Morgan — Sun, 27 Aug 2023 07:13:51 +0000

Some photographs show one–or both—with less than 8 condenser columns. Eventually both ships had a condenser arrangement over each engine. Why? Was there an effort to save weight of condensers and try to “get by” with less than one per engine? when were changes made?

By: PAT [KIRK] BROWN

PAT [KIRK] BROWN — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 21:52:57 +0000

I WAS A FEMALE AEONATICAL ENGINEER AT GOODYEAR AIRCRAFT IN PLANT B ENGINEERING DEPT DURING WWII WORKED ON NAVY BLIMPS AND THE FG1 CORSAIR [ IM 98 ] WHEN I WAS SEVEN I REMEMBER GOING TO GOODYEAR TO SEE THEM MAKING THE AKRON A LOT OF GOOD MEMORIES

By: Louis XXV de France

Louis XXV de France — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 00:36:57 +0000

In reply to Simon Yates. It's true that contra-rotating propellers actually make the a given propeller disk up to as much as 20% more efficient. But this requires them to be quite close to each other in order to gain effect from the clean wash of the preceding prop blade spinning in the opposite direction. Once the propellers are separated above a certain distance, however, they are operating in the eddies and vortexes of disturbed air, thus losing more efficiency than a single prop would maintain.

By: Mark Oppenheim

Mark Oppenheim — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 18:02:34 +0000

Several years ago, I visited the Cana Island light station in Door County, Wisconsin. In the keeper’s house was a page from the log with the curious phrase “Airshop Mason passed Cana Island …” I don’t remember the date on the log, but I’m convinced the keeper meant Airship Macon, and I’ll bet the date was June 14, 1933, when the Macon was on a shakedown cruise which took it over Northern Illinois, Wisconsin and Lake Michigan before returning to Akron. I passed along my info to the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay, WI (which operates the Cana Island Lighthouse), but they haven’t responded.

By: Kirk Wennerstrom

Kirk Wennerstrom — Sun, 27 Mar 2022 15:57:24 +0000

In reply to Sandra Hyk. Unfortunately, no. They did try to jettison the Sparrowhawks to reduce weight, but the extreme up angle of the airship caused the planes to jam on the transfer and release mechanisms.

By: Sharron Needles

Sharron Needles — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 20:30:09 +0000

In reply to Mike Merrick. It would hardly be a strong enough lifting gas to lift such a great weight. And the mechanisms required to produce it would either be too complex, or inefficient

By: Mike Merrick

Mike Merrick — Sat, 03 Apr 2021 14:48:41 +0000

Why not use hot air for lift in a dirigible ? Solar heaters could be used as well as hot exhaust from engines. What would be max height achievable ?

By: Sandra Hyk

Sandra Hyk — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 14:49:21 +0000

Would it have been possible for a sparrowhawk to leave the Macon as she went down. i know she went slowly and tail first.

By: Simon Yates

Simon Yates — Sat, 17 Aug 2019 22:55:05 +0000

I have a question about the Akron and Macon’s propellers. While I was doing some research this one article talks about how a propeller can take advantage of disturbed air. Here is the quote: “It is possible for a single engine to drive two propellers that are on the same axis but rotate in opposite directions (contra-rotation). The rear propeller actually takes advantage of the disturbed airflow created by the forward propeller” (Cooper). What exactly is this advantage? Possibly speed or efficiency? Here is the link for more background information: https://grantvillegazette.com/article/publish-507/

Thank you Mr. Grossman!

By: Herbert McClelland

Herbert McClelland — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 02:46:45 +0000

I found a photo of the Macon and a few other photos at a sale many years ago, I sold the photo of the Macon, but there was on photo that I kept, it appears to have been taken from inside looking out, there are biplanes in the photo, one if them appears to be in trouble as there is heavy smoke coming out of the front of the plane. Does anyone know if there was an event like that involving one of the Sparrowhawk planes from either the Akron or Macon??