Just Like a Lead Balloon! U.S. Army's $150m 'super-blimp' high-altitude airship in crash landing just hours after launch

What is the definition of crazy?

U.S. Army's $150m 'super-blimp' high-altitude airship in crash landing just hours after launch | Mail Online

• U.S. Army's $150m 'super-blimp' high-altitude airship in crash landing just hours after launch

• Airship launched in [Akron] Ohio comes down in Pennsylvania
• But Lockheed Martin says it was a 'controlled descent'
• Aircraft could only get up to 32,000ft - not 60,000ft

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

A $150million U.S. Army airship crash landed in woods today after it could only reach half of its expected altitude on a test flight.

Last updated at 8:50 PM on 27th July 2011

The unmanned solar-powered airship was only in the air for less than three hours after it launched in Akron, Ohio, on Wednesday morning.

It ascended as planned up to 32,000ft but the Lockheed Martin airship then encountered problems and was not able to get up to 60,000ft.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2019454/U-S-Armys-150m-super-blimp-high-altitude-airship-crash-landing-just-hours-launch.html#ixzz1TLCu25mp

Crash of USS Akron "Blimp," actually a rigid airship - Sounds familiar:

THE NEW YORK TIMES, New York, April 5, 1933

"73 LOST IN AKRON CRASH, 3 SURVIVORS HERE; SHIP DRIVEN DOWN IN STORM, CAUSE IS UNKNOWN,; RESCUE BLIMP FALLS, 2 DROWN, 5 ARE SAVE" with many subheads that include: "Wind Wrecks The J-3" "Hunt For Survivors Vain" "Craft Plunged Into Sea"

In April of 1933, Akron cast off from her moorings to operate along the coast of New England, assisting in the calibration of radio direction finder stations, with Rear Admiral Moffett embarked. Also on board were: Commander Harry B. Cecil, the admiral's aide; Commander Fred T. Berry, the commanding officer of Lakehurst's Naval Air Station; and Lieutenant Colonel Alfred F. Masury, USAR, a guest of the admiral, a vice-president of the Mack Truck Co., and a strong proponent of the potential civilian uses of rigid airships.

As she proceeded on her way, Akron encountered severe weather which did not improve as she passed over Barnegat Light, New Jersey at 2200 (10:00 PM) on 3 April. Wind gusts of terrific force struck the airship unmercifully around 0030 (12:30 AM) on 4 April, and pushed her down toward the sea. She crashed tail first and then sank in the stormy Atlantic. The German motorship Phoebus in the vicinity saw lights descending toward the ocean at about 0023 (12:23 AM) and altered course to starboard to investigate, thinking she was witnessing a plane crash. At 0055 (12:55 AM) on 4 April, Phoebus picked up Lieutenant Commander Herbert V. Wiley, Akron's executive officer, unconscious, while a ship's boat picked up three more men: Chief Radioman Robert W. Copeland, Boatswain's Mate Second Class Richard E. Deal, and Aviation Metalsmith Second Class Moody E. Ervin. Despite desperate artificial respiration, Copeland never regained consciousness and died on board Phoebus.