Editing Airship (section)

===Postwar period===
[[File:Goodyear blimp.jpg|thumb|left|One of the [[Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company]]'s [[Goodyear Blimp|blimp]] fleet, being replaced by [[LZ N07-101|Zeppelin NT semirigids]]]]
Although airships are no longer used for major cargo and passenger transport, they are still used for other purposes such as [[advertising]], [[sightseeing]], surveillance, research and [[advocacy]].

There were several studies and proposals for [[atomic airship|nuclear-powered airships]], starting with a 1954 study by F.W. Locke Jr for US Navy.<ref>[http://www.historynet.com/atomic-airships.htm Atomic Airships] by John J. Geoghegan. Originally published in the January 2013 issue of ''Aviation History'' magazine.</ref> In 1957 Edwin J. Kirschner published the book ''The Zeppelin in the Atomic Age'',<ref>''The Zeppelin in the Atomic Age: The Past, Present, and Future of the Rigid Lighter-Than-Air Aircraft'', Kirschner, Edwin J. Published by University of Illinois Press (1957)</ref> which promoted the use of atomic airships. In 1959 [[Goodyear Aerospace|Goodyear]] presented a plan for nuclear-powered airship for both military and commercial use. Several other proposals and papers were published during the next decades.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Jurich |first=Leo|title=The Nuclear Powered Airship|date=1 January 1960|url=https://doi.org/10.4271/600278|journal=SAE Mobilus|series=SAE Technical Paper Series|volume=1|publisher=SAE International|doi=10.4271/600278}}</ref>

In the 1980s, [[Per Lindstrand]] and his team introduced the ''GA-42'' airship, the first airship to use [[Aircraft flight control system#Fly-by-wire control systems|fly-by-wire flight control]], which considerably reduced the pilot's workload.

An airship was prominently featured in the [[James Bond (film series)|James Bond film]] ''[[A View to a Kill]]'', released in 1985. The Skyship 500 had the livery of Zorin Industries.<ref>{{cite web | title = IMDb | website = [[IMDb]] | url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090264/ }}</ref>

The world's largest [[thermal airship]] ({{convert|300,000|ft3|m3|abbr=off|lk=off|disp=semicolon}}) was constructed by the [[Per Lindstrand]] company for French botanists in 1993. The ''AS-300'' carried an underslung raft, which was positioned by the airship on top of tree canopies in the rain forest, allowing the botanists to carry out their treetop research without significant damage to the rainforest. When research was finished at a given location, the airship returned to pick up and relocate the raft.<ref>[http://www.lindstrandtech.com/thermal_airships.html ''Thermal Airships''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003191341/http://www.lindstrandtech.com/thermal_airships.html |date=October 3, 2013 }}, Lindstrand Technologies.</ref>

In June 1987, the U.S. Navy awarded a US$168.9&nbsp;million contract to [[Westinghouse Electric]] and [[Airship Industries]] of the UK to find out whether an airship could be used as an airborne platform to detect the threat of sea-skimming missiles, such as the [[Exocet]].<ref name=nyt870606>{{Cite news | agency = Reuters | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/06/business/navy-awards-blimp-order.html | title = Navy Awards Blimp Order | work = [[The New York Times]] | date = 6 June 1987 | access-date = 6 November 2007 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071215035457/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEFDC1E30F935A35755C0A961948260| archive-date= 15 December 2007 <!--DASHBot-->|url-status = live}}</ref> At 2.5 million cubic feet, the Westinghouse/Airship Industries Sentinel 5000 (Redesignated YEZ-2A by the U.S. Navy) prototype design was to have been the largest blimp ever constructed.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1992–93 |publisher=Janes Information Group |year=1992 |isbn=0710609876 |editor-last=Lambert |editor-first=Mark}}</ref> Additional funding for the Naval Airship Program was killed in 1995 and development was discontinued.

The SVAM CA-80 airship, which was produced in 2000 by Shanghai Vantage Airship Manufacture Co., Ltd., had a successful trial flight in September 2001. This was designed for advertisement and propagation, air-photo, scientific test, tour and surveillance duties. It was certified as a grade-A Hi-Tech introduction program (No. 20000186) in Shanghai. The CAAC authority granted a type design approval and certificate of airworthiness for the airship.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2000 |title=Model CA-80 Non-rigid Airship |url=http://www.vantageship.com/en_ca80data.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303183256/http://www.vantageship.com/en_ca80data.htm |archive-date=2016-03-03 |website=Shanghai Vantage Airship Manufacture Co., Ltd.}}</ref>

In the 1990s the Zeppelin company returned to the airship business. Their new model, designated the [[Zeppelin NT]], made its maiden flight on 18 September 1997. {{as of|2009}} there were four NT aircraft flying, a fifth was completed in March 2009 and an expanded NT-14 (14,000&nbsp;cubic meters of helium, capable of carrying 19 passengers) was under construction. One was sold to a Japanese company, and was planned to be flown to Japan in the summer of 2004. Due to delays getting permission from the Russian government, the company decided to transport the airship to Japan by sea. One of the four NT craft is in South Africa carrying diamond detection equipment from De Beers, an application at which the very stable low vibration NT platform excels. The project included design adaptations for high temperature operation and desert climate, as well as a separate [[mooring mast]] and a very heavy mooring truck. NT-4 belonged to [[Airship Ventures]] of Moffett Field, Mountain View in the San Francisco Bay Area, and provided sight-seeing tours.

[[Blimp]]s are used for advertising and as TV camera platforms at major sporting events. The most iconic of these are the [[Goodyear Blimp]]s. Goodyear operates three blimps in the United States, and [[American Blimp Corporation|The Lightship Group]], now The AirSign Airship Group,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airsign.com|title=Aerial Advertising & Airplane Banner Towing |website=www.airsign.com}}</ref> operates up to 19 advertising blimps around the world. [[Airship Management Services]] owns and operates three [[Skyship 600]] blimps. Two operate as advertising and security ships in North America and the Caribbean. [[Airship Ventures]] operated a Zeppelin NT for advertising, passenger service and special mission projects. They were the only airship operator in the U.S. authorized to fly commercial passengers, until closing their doors in 2012.

[[Skycruise Switzerland AG]] owns and operates two [[Skyship 600]] blimps. One operates regularly over Switzerland used on sightseeing tours.
[[File:Spiritofdubai.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Spirit of Dubai]] approaches its motorized [[mooring mast]]]]
The Switzerland-based Skyship 600 has also played other roles over the years. For example, it was flown over [[Athens]] during the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] as a security measure. In November 2006, it carried advertising calling it ''The [[Spirit of Dubai]]'' as it began a publicity tour from London to Dubai, UAE on behalf of [[The Palm Islands]], the world's largest man-made islands created as a residential complex.

Los Angeles-based [[Worldwide Aeros Corp.]] produces FAA Type Certified [[Aeros 40D Sky Dragon]] airships.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.aerosml.com/ | title = Worldwide Aeros Corp }}</ref>

In May 2006, the U.S. Navy began to fly airships again after a hiatus of nearly 44 years. The program uses a single [[American Blimp Company]] A-170 nonrigid airship, with designation [[American Blimp MZ-3|MZ-3A]]. Operations focus on crew training and research, and the platform integrator is [[Northrop Grumman]]. The program is directed by the [[Naval Air Systems Command]] and is being carried out at [[NAES Lakehurst]], the original centre of U.S. Navy lighter-than-air operations in previous decades.

In November 2006 the U.S. Army bought an A380+ airship from [[American Blimp Corporation]] through a Systems level contract with [[Northrop Grumman]] and [[Booz Allen Hamilton]]. The airship started flight tests in late 2007, with a primary goal of carrying {{convert|2500|lb|abbr= on}} of payload to an altitude of {{convert|15000|ft|m|abbr= on}} under [[remote control]] and [[autonomous waypoint navigation]]. The program will also demonstrate carrying {{convert|1000|lb|abbr= on}} of payload to {{convert|20000|ft|m|abbr=on}} The platform could be used for intelligence collection. In 2008, the ''CA-150'' airship was launched by Vantage Airship. This is an improved modification of model ''CA-120'' and completed manufacturing in 2008. With larger volume and increased passenger capacity, it is the largest manned nonrigid airship in China at present.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CA-150 型软式载人飞艇 |trans-title=CA-150 Non-rigid Manned Airship |url=http://www.vantageship.com/en/index.php?id=61 |website=Shanghai Vantage Airship Manufacture Co., Ltd.}}</ref>

In late June 2014 the [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]] flew the GEFA-FLUG AS 105 GD/4<ref>{{cite web|url=http://yro.slashdot.org/story/14/06/27/1927213/protesters-launch-a-135-foot-blimp-over-the-nsas-utah-data-center|title=Protesters Launch a 135-Foot Blimp Over the NSA's Utah Data Center |work=slashdot.org|date=27 June 2014 |access-date=4 October 2016}}</ref> blimp AE Bates (owned by, and in conjunction with, [[Greenpeace]]) over the [[NSA]]'s [[Bluffdale, Utah|Bluffdale]] [[Utah Data Center]] in protest.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2014/06/protestors-launch-a-135-foot-blimp-over-the-nsas-utah-data-center/|title=Protestors Launch a 135-Foot Blimp Over the NSA's Utah Data Center|first=Andy|last=Greenberg|magazine=wired.com|access-date=4 October 2016}}</ref>

====Postwar projects====
Hybrid designs such as the [[Helistat|Heli-Stat]] airship/helicopter, the [[Aereon]] aerostatic/aerodynamic craft, and the [[AeroLift CycloCrane|CycloCrane]] (a hybrid aerostatic/rotorcraft), struggled to take flight. The Cyclocrane was also interesting in that the airship's envelope rotated along its longitudinal axis.

In 2005, a short-lived project of the U.S. [[Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency]] (DARPA) was [[Walrus HULA]], which explored the potential for using airships as long-distance, heavy lift craft.<ref>[http://www.darpa.mil/news/2005/walrus.pdf "Contractors for Walrus Program announced"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206102354/http://www.darpa.mil/news/2005/walrus.pdf |date=2016-02-06 }}, press release, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, 26 August 2005.</ref><ref>[http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/10/us-cbo-gives-ok-to-hula-airships-for-airlift/index.php "US CBO Gives OK to HULA Airships for Airlift"], ''Defense Industry Daily'', 21 October 2005.</ref> The primary goal of the research program was to determine the feasibility of building an airship capable of carrying {{convert|500|ST|t|abbr=on}} of payload a distance of {{convert|12000|mi|abbr=on}} and land on an unimproved location without the use of external [[wikt:ballast|ballast]] or ground equipment (such as masts). In 2005, two contractors, [[Lockheed Martin]] and [[US Aeros Airships]] were each awarded approximately $3 million to do feasibility studies of designs for WALRUS. Congress removed funding for Walrus HULA in 2006.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/walrus-hunted-to-extinction-by-congress-darpa-02102/ |title=WALRUS Hunted to Extinction By Congress, DARPA? |date=4 April 2006 |publisher=Defense Industry Daily}}</ref>