The term BLIMP is British slang of unknown
origin...
The Hindenburg
Probably the
most famous Blimp was the Hindenburg, a German dirigible used for
transatlantic passenger service and filled with Hydrogen which is
HIGHLY flamable. The Hindenburg burst into flames over Lakehurst
N.J in 1937 putting an end to balloons being used for comercial
flight.
Helium is
Non-flamable
The History of Blimps
The first
nonriged airships were built by the French in 1852 and powered by
steam engines, in 1883 Albert and Gaston Tissandier built a blimp
using battery powered electric motor, at the turn of the century,
Brazilian Alberto Santos-Dumont began using gasoline powered
engines
In world war 2,
the United States was the only military service to use airships.
Blimps were used for minesweeping and antisubmarine patrols, more
than 150 blimps were in military service!! The K-type blimp had a
top speed of 50 mph and could stay in the air for about 60 hours.
Our ballons
have NEVER been used for military purposes!
BLIMPS TODAY
You may all be
familiar with the Goodyear blimp which was first built in 1919
and named The Pony. In 1923 Goodyear added the Pilgrim, and after
1928 expanded the fleet, with the Puritan, Volunteer, Mayflower,
Vigilant, Defender, Reliance, Resolute, Ent erprise, and
Columbia. You all know that they were used for advertising all
over the United States but did you know that during world war 2
they were used for U.S. Navy reconnaissance??? Goodyear no longer
produces Blimps.....
We get new
ballons every day!!!!
Thanks to Groliers
Multimedia encylopedia for reference material