B Class (US Navy)
Goodyear / US Navy · United States · first flew 1917 · reconnaissance aircraft
The B-class blimps were the US Navy's first standardised non-rigid airships, entering service during WWI for coastal anti-submarine patrol along the eastern seaboard.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 49.7 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | No tailplane |
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Spot it by:
- non-rigid coastal patrol blimp
- single engine car
- elongated envelope
A small non-rigid blimp by later standards; the 49.7 m envelope is roughly half the length of WWII patrol blimps. The single exposed engine in the open car below the envelope and the simple tail fins identify it as a WWI-era design.
Specifications
- The B Class (US Navy) has a length of 49.7 m (163 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.2 m (40 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 76 km/h (47 mph).
- Typical crew: 2-3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed from 1916 onward, the B class established the basic formula for US Navy coastal patrol blimps: a non-rigid gas envelope with a small control car suspended below housing the crew, engine, and armament. Sixteen were built by Goodyear and others, serving from 1917 through the early 1920s.
Variants
Minor differences existed between individual examples in engine fit and car configuration; the subsequent C and D classes were enlarged derivatives.
Where you'll see it
Operated by the US Navy from coastal air stations for convoy escort and submarine spotting in WWI; several survived into the early 1920s as training platforms.
Related aircraft
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