The Journey of Flight.pdf - Valkyrie Cadet

Chapter Chapter 3 3 - - - The The Golden Golden Age: Age: 1919 1919 -1939
-1939
The Hindenburg exploded during it’s landing at Lakehurst, N.J., in 1937.
The inset shows the Hindenburg during it’s glory days.
Zeppelins in the United States.
They built two airships for the
Navy and both met with disaster.
In l931, the Akron went into
service flying out of Lakehurst,
New Jersey. On April 4, 1933,
after only 1,200 hours of flying
service for the Navy, the Akron
crashed in a storm off the New
Jersey coast. Seventy-three crew
men were killed.
The other Navy airship, the
Macon, was built in 1933. It flew
out of Moffet Field, California,
and patrolled the Pacific coast.
On February 12, 1935, the
Macon suffered a structural
failure of the upper fin. Gas
leakage and structural collapse
caused the Macon to crash into
the sea off the California coast.
Two crewmembers were killed.
Investigations by both the
Navy and Congress endorsed the continued use of dirigibles for the Navy. However, due to the
outbreak of World War II, attention was diverted elsewhere and construction was never started.
Militar Military Militar y Air Air P PPower
P ower Developments
Developments
During During the the Inter Interwar Inter war Y YYears
Y ears
The developments made in commercial aviation during the 1930s provided the business necessary
to maintain a healthy aviation industry in the United States. These same industries were also helping
develop military aircraft, although not as much as in the commercial field. Despite what General Billy
Mitchell had done to champion the cause of air power, our national policy regarding military aviation
was that the airplane was primarily a defensive weapon used to protect our homeland.
Many of our Army Air Corps officers understood the offensive potential of the airplane. It was only
because of their efforts that some progress was made in the development of fighters and bombers
during the 1930s. A prime example of this was the development of the B-17. This bomber gained fame
during World War II.
When Douglas Aircraft built the DC-2 and DC-3 commercial airliners, the 247 that Boeing had
built became obsolete. This was a blessing in disguise for the Boeing Company because it allowed
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