Goodyear Unveils Newest Generation Blimp and Contest to Name It

Above, the Spirit of America at its base in Carson, California is one of the blimps to be retired. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company unveiled its newest generation of blimps Friday.

According to the Mercury News:

AKRON, Ohio (AP) -- The next generation of the well-known Goodyear blimp is getting ready to take flight as the company moves toward replacing its old fleet of airships with a new trio. 

The helium-filled airship, assembled at an Akron-area hangar and unveiled there Friday, is bigger, quicker and more maneuverable than earlier models, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. said. 

The 246-foot airship fits 12 passengers and has a semi-rigid internal skeleton, a feature that wasn't present in earlier models and raises questions about whether it is truly a blimp, though the company still refers to it as such. The structure is covered by a silver, balloon-like body emblazoned with Goodyear's yellow logo on a blue background.  

It can travel at up to 73 mph and has custom computer-controlled avionics, an upgrade from the manual flight system used by the blimp pilots since the 1920s, the company said. It plans to build two more.

Also, Goodyear announced that the public is invited to join in on a contest to name the new blimp. The winner will be awarded "personal use" of the blimp for a day. For contest details, go here.

To read more and to see the new blimp, go here.