Akron Work Continues

Looking excellent! I've always been very interested in the Akron and Macon. Will it come with a Sparrowhawk? I always wanted to fly it without the landing gear and just the drop tank, like they started flying them out over the ocean, since the landing gear was useless. I realize that would be separate from a flyable Akron or Macon, and I will be satisfied with just the airship.

Now if I only knew what the larger follow on airship carrier looked like and the attack planes that were supposed to fly from it.

Anyway, keep up the work, it looks great. :applause:

BTW, do you have the book,"Flying Hookers?" It's a great reference.
 
The wheel all the way forward is the Rudderman's station (the equivalent of a Helmsman on a Navy ship). The large wheel on the port side is the Elevatorman's Station. He would control the elevators and elevator trim. Above the Elevatorman's station is a Balast Control Station, much like a Trim Control Station on a submarine. The small wheel to the Elevatorman's left is the main helium control valve, whereby the Elevatorman could gain or lose buoyancy by controlling the on service lift bags. These airships were considered ships. They were not flown per se. They were commanded. There was an Officer of the Deck that drove the ship via commands to the watchstanders.
 
Jim, this looks terrific! I have never even thought about flying a blimp/airship in FSX, but after seeing your labor of love, really want to give it a try. I have a question though, with regards to the FSX and any attached weather engine. Are there accurate or strong enough winds to facilitate movement within FSX or will it strictly be at the mercy of the attached engines and ballast system? I have flown the ultralights all the time and played with the glider, but aside from the occasional turbulence didn't see anything that pushed me off course.

Not sure if what I wrote makes sense, so please don't misinterpret my reply as sharpshooting your idea, just curious as I have always wondered what the pilots of the Goodyear blimp would experience aloft.

Matt
 
Photos for comparison

I thought people might enjoy seeing a couple of photos from the book, "Sky Ship" by Thom Hook. It shows the human scale of the control car and what a job Mister Dhaenens is doing in building the model.
 
Thanks, gentlemen. In answer to Matt...I don't know at this point. The model I'm splicing this into was built by someone else, adapted to FSX by someone other than that, and I don't know who built the air file. The VC wasn't my project to start with, although I did other stuff for the team, but I started it to see what I could do with it. So if everything goes well, we'll get this last thing polished off and get the project out.

Failing any and all that, I'll splice it onto the freeware model available online under the GPL license rather than my own. It should be freeware in any case.

@sundog...no I don't have that book. I couldn't find it when I was looking at the library and I've already purchased too much reference material...according to the boss....

Jim
 
"Flying Hookers" yeah i saw them, they hang about on them corners where airways cross each other... :icon_lol:

be good to have another craft for my slow and scenic kit...
 
Project Background

The original Akron model was done by Piotr Lowicki, an outstanding 3D modeller from Poland. We found his model on an Airship forum about 2 yrs ago. He graciously allowed us to use his model to try and convert it for use in FSX. The team that formed from this project is comprised of some of the best names, from scenery designers and ship builders to flight testers, all with one purpose. To get these outstanding representatives of early Naval Aviation into the Flightsim world. It has been a long road with many set backs. I want to thank Jim for stepping up to the plate to try and finally finish this project. Along with the airship there will be an outstanding Moffett field(1930 time period) and a USS Patoka at various locations. The project is intended to be freeware.
 
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