US Goodyear ''K'' - Class Airship

By Crusader1307

The “K”-Class of Non-Rigid Airships were designed and produced by The American Goodyear Company in 1938. Designed for Military usage (US Navy), The “K”-Class was envisioned for both Maritime Patrol and for Anti-Submarine duties. It was the most produced Class of Airships for this purpose, and was heavily used during World War II. Crewed by 10, The “K”-Class used 2 Pratt & Whitney 9-cylinder radial air-cooled engines for primary power. They contained over 425.000 cubit feet of gas, and were 250-feet long with a 60-foot diameter. A 40-foot self-contained enveloped held radio, sonar and related equipment. This envelope helped protect the sensitive equipment from high altitude winds and variants in weather. The “K”-Class was armed with (1) .50 Caliber HB Browning Machine Gun, mounted on the Command Cupola below the Airship. The Class could carry (4) 350-pound Depth Charges, which could be electrically released (or manually, should there be a systems failure). They could achieve an operational ceiling of 45,000-feet. Typically, The “K”-Class could stay aloft for a 24-hour period. 134 “K”-Class were built between 1938 and 1959. Used extensively in both The Atlantic and Pacific War Theaters, on 1 was lost during World War II, when it was shot down by a German Submarine. The “K”-Class was also chosen by The Navy to test if it could deploy a Nuclear Device. The results were considered too risky due to radiation factors after detonation.