What is a blimp?

Discover the fascinating world of blimps, their history, functionality, and significance in aviation and advertising.

It is not a giant balloon. It is not an airplane. Well, it is in spirit, both. A blimp is a type of airship. Airships are, simply said, lighter-than-air pressure ships. Technically, it is a powered (like how we say ‘engine-powered’ for example) and steerable lighter-than-air aircraft. Hence, it is ‘self-propelled’. Lighter-than-air (LTA) here means that the aircraft uses lifting gas that is less dense than the air around. A blimp floats with the help of buoyant force.

Airships are of three types, namely, non-rigid, semi-rigid, and rigid. Non-rigid airships also go by the name, blimp.

The famous example of blimps are the goodyear blimps.

I doubt only a handful of you may have heard of this, much less see an actual blimp in the sky. Ever since airplanes became the ‘it’ thing in aviation, blimps became a gentle casualty. During the World War eras, the military had wonderful uses when it came to airships. Blimps were used in a prolific fashion by the navy for patrolling, surveillance, and anti-submarine warfare. Getting on a blimp was quite frequent for many as part of national defense.

Why? Blimps were utilised for such functions in the war because of its slow speed, steady flight capabilities, and dynamic maneuverability.

A goodyear blimp. | Photo Credit: Unsplash Images