Akron and Macon

The Akron and Macon were two rigid airships built in the United States for the U.S. Navy. They were the only airships that could launch and retrieve planes in midair. Virtually identical, they were 785 feet (239 meters) long, 133 feet (40 meters) in diameter at their widest point, and carried 6,500,000 cubic feet (184,000 cubic meters) of helium gas. Powered by eight 560-horsepower (418-kilowatt) engines, they could travel at a speed of approximately 80 miles per hour (129 kilometers per hour). They were the most expensive aircraft built by the United States until after World War II—the Akron cost $4.5 million, and the Macon cost $3.5 million.

The Macon was the last rigid airship built in the United States

Credits - DJ's Airships

The Akron first flew on September 2, 1931. It was wrecked in a storm off the New Jersey coast on April 4, 1933, and only three of the 76 men on board survived. The Macon first flew on April 21, 1933. It perished over the Pacific Ocean on February 12, 1935, with only two of the 83-man crew dying in the crash.

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Credits - Civil Air Patrol