This year's EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, set to take off July 20 through 26, is expecting many special aircraft. One of the biggest that is planning to show up is Goodyear's "Wingfoot One," scheduled to arrive on Tuesday, July 21, and stay on display and fly as part of the air show throughout the remainder of the week.
Goodyear airships have become regular attractions at AirVenture since the first appearance in 1971 when the Goodyear's "America" attended the massive general aviation event. This year Goodyear will exhibit alongside Goulian Aerosports in AirVenture Booth 488 and will also have Goodyear airship merchandise for sale at Booth 2131.
Wingfoot One represents the first Goodyear airship to have received major structural modifications in nearly 70 years. Wingfoot One has a semi-rigid aluminum and carbon fiber structure enveloped by polyester materials and a new film called Tedlar, developed by DuPont. The airship was built by Germany's ZLT Zeppelin Luftschufftechnik, which sent a team to Suffield, Ohio, near Akron, to help Goodyear's engineers assemble the aircraft. See how the blimp was made in the video below.
In addition to the new structure, the airship is equipped with advanced flight control systems and avionics. Wingfoot One was first flown last spring.
Goodyear is replacing the remaining GZ-20 models, currently based in Pompano Beach, Florida and Carson, California, with new semi-rigid airships within the next two years.
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