Despite questions about the precise definition of the aircraft, Goodyear’s new Wingfoot Two arrived in the Los Angeles area last week headed for its temporary home at Long Beach airport. Although the technical definition of a blimp calls for a craft that does not include a rigid framework, Goodyear’s sticking with the term. Goodyear has operated blimps in Southern California for more than 90 years and delivered the first-ever live aerial feed to a transcontinental telecast over the 1955 Rose Parade and Rose Bowl.
After a three-week 2,600-mile journey from the Akron factory where it was built, Wingfoot Two will reside at Long Beach until its permanent Carson, California hangar is completed.
The Wingfoot Two is a longer, faster, quieter and an easier-to-maneuver craft than the blimp the company retired this past March. Goodyear operates two of the technologically advanced blimps, Wingfoot One and Wingfoot Two, with a third aircraft of the 246-foot long airship still under construction at the factory near Akron Ohio.
Wingfoot Two and its sister ships use three vectored engines to enhance their maneuverability. The company claims the craft can hit speeds as high as 64 knots. Each are supported by a semi-rigid frame composed of light-weight aluminum and a carbon fiber envelope that packs 297,527 cubic feet of non-flammable helium inside.
