USS Akron
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USS Akron was a helium-filled rigid airship of the U.S. Navy, the lead ship of her class, which operated between September 1931 and April 1933. She was the world's first purpose-built flying aircraft
Akron approaching the mooring mast at NAS Sunnyvale
Akron under construction in the Goodyear Airdock at Akron, Ohio, in November 1930: Note the three-dimensional, deep rings.
Sample of the duralumin from which the frame of USS Akron was built
The maiden voyage of Akron on 2 November 1931, showing her four starboard propellers; The engines' water-reclaiming devices appear as white strips above each propeller. The emergency rear control cabin is visible in the lower fin.
Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk
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The Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk is a light 1930s biplane fighter aircraft that was carried by the United States Navy airships USS Akron and Macon. It is an example of a parasite fighter, a small airplane
USS Akron
…lead ship of her class, which operated between September 1931 and April 1933. She was the world's first purpose-built flying aircraft carrier, carrying F9C Sparrowhawk fighter planes, which could be launched and recovered while in flight. With an overall length of 785 ft (239 m), Akron and her sister ship the USS Macon…
F9C Sparrowhawk
An F9C-2 captures the trapeze aboard Macon in 1933
A Sparrowhawk with its undercarriage replaced by an external fuel tank - on deployment, the aircraft, not requiring the use of the undercarriage, would have it removed and replaced with a 30 gallon fuel tank, significantly increasing the aircraft's range
The XF9C-2