Description: This picture shows an airship, or blimp, flying over the United States Capitol building in Washington, D. C. The image is from a pamphlet titled "America in the Skyways," published in 1929 by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation of Akron, Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05227
Subjects: Airships; Ohio Economy--Economy--Business; Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation; United States Capitol (Washington, D.C.); Aviation--History
Places: Washington (D.C.)
 

Description: This photograph shows two Goodyear blimps in the air, flying above a body of water. Canoes and motorboats are visible on the lake. The name and number of each airship is visible on its tail. The Columbia (N2A) is the left; the Mayflower (N3A) is on the left. Both of these airships likely were built in the 1960s, when the Goodyear-Zeppelin Company developed the GZ-19A model (an airship named "Mayflower" was built in 1963). The GZ-20 model was introduced in 1968; an airship named "Columbia" and based on this model was built in 1969. Zeppelins are a type of airship, named for and invented by Ferdinand von Zeppelin. They are also known as blimps, airships, and dirigibles. Zeppelins once used heated air to become airborne. Over time, hydrogen and helium replaced the heated air. Zeppelins are different than hot-air balloons because balloons float with the wind, while zeppelins have engines that can steer the airship. Militaries have used them in wartime to observe and bomb enemy positions and companies have also utilized them to advertise products. The center of zeppelin production in the United States was Akron, Ohio. In 1916, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company purchased land near Akron to build a plant that could produce zeppelin aircraft. In 1917, the main Goodyear Company created a subsidiary known as the Goodyear Zeppelin Company to manufacture the zeppelins. That same year, the firm received a contract from the federal government to manufacture nine zeppelins for the United States military during World War I. Unfortunately for the company, its manufacturing facilities were not complete in 1917, so Goodyear completed the first airships inside of a large amusement park building in Chicago, Illinois. The military used these airships to bomb and to spy upon enemy positions. At the conclusion of World War I, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company continued to manufacture zeppelins. The firm used most of these ships to advertise its products. Zeppelins originally used heated air or hydrogen, but most of these ships utilized helium to become airborne. During this period, other companies, especially European ones, were constructing airships to transport passengers, including across the Atlantic Ocean. Goodyear also manufactured two airships, the "Akron" and the "Macon," for the United States military during the early 1930s. During World War II, the company manufactured 104 airships for the military at its Akron facility. Following World War II, the Goodyear Zeppelin Company continued to manufacture airships, but it also expanded into producing other types of aircraft and aircraft parts. The main thrust of the company, however, remained the airships. The company now used the zeppelins almost exclusively for advertising purposes. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06156
Subjects: Airships; Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation; Zeppelin (airship); Akron (Ohio)
Places: Akron (Ohio); Summit County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows six blimps in the air flying above a semi-rural area or a small town. All but one of the blimps bear the name "Goodyear"; the sixth blimp (far left in the group) has the name "Bird & Son Inc./Roofs - Rugs." The blimps appear to be of different sizes. Writing in white ink appears on the lower right corner: " K-1-912-11-6-30." Bird & Son, Inc. was established in 1795 in East Walpole, Massachusetts. During the 1880s it produced the first felt-based asphalt roofing product manufactured in the U.S. It also manufactured floor coverings. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06157
Subjects: Airships; Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation; Zeppelin (airship); Akron (Ohio)
Places: Akron (Ohio); Summit County (Ohio)
 

Description: The zeppelin under construction in the photograph is most likely the USS Akron or its sister ship, the USS Macon, built in the early 1930s. The center of zeppelin production in the United States was Akron, Ohio. In 1916, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company purchased land near Akron to build a plant that could produce zeppelin aircraft. The plant was called the Goodyear Airdock. In 1917, the main Goodyear Company created a subsidiary known as the Goodyear Zeppelin Company to manufacture the zeppelins. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B07F07_003_1
Subjects: Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company; Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation; Airships; Hangars
Places: Akron (Ohio); Summit County (Ohio)
 

Description: The center of zeppelin production in the United States was Akron, Ohio. In 1916, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company purchased land near Akron, Ohio to build a plant that could produce zeppelin aircraft. The plant was called the Goodyear Airdock. In 1917, the main Goodyear Company created a subsidiary known as the Goodyear Zeppelin Company to manufacture the zeppelins. The zeppelin under construction in the photograph is most likely the USS Akron or its sister ship, the USS Macon built in the early 1930s. These airships were designed to be used by the US Navy for reconnaissance, but were in service for only a short time. Each ship met disaster due to weather conditions, including the Akron going down off the coast of New Jersey and the Macon in Monterey Bay, California. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B01F01_005
Subjects: Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company; Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation; Airships; Hangars
Places: Akron (Ohio); Summit County (Ohio)