@@spaceeDolphin This is why I much prefer this channel's content to channels such as Megaprojects, which churn out content daily, but which feels rushed and error-strewn.
Captain Wiley is extremely admirable. He survived the Akron and willingly went right back to work on the Macon. He even helped to improve her tactics. Despite the unfortunate end of these ships, it’s inspiring to see how the enthusiasts creatively worked to keep the dream alive.
Finally, a comment that isn’t about Mustard. And yes, captain Wiley was… wily indeed, especially with his decision to find the ship FDR was on instead of sticking to the exercise.
It almost seems like a different era. When was the last time the Navy really had mavericks pushing toward a singular goal? Now it seems largely corporatized with at best you have minor differences between the Atlantic and Pacific fleets.
@@paleoph6168 Ya but also proving the rule, "don't show up your commanders because they will make your life a living hell AND take away your birthday if you do" More to the actual point though he DID royally screw up by radioing the Houston, if they'd just dropped mail/papers and gone back once the Houston was 'safe' that would be one thing and maybe the Navy would have spun the story in a more positive light. As it was they likely would have screwed the airship even more had it not been lost.
@@Teampegleg Budgets far short of keeping up maintenance and training let alone experimenting with new technology and tactics is a hard task master. Since that time we've been supporting a strong enough military to fight two wars simultaneously with a budget that's far beyond that of any other nations capability. We went from the biggest military in the world at the end of WWII with the power to project anywhere in the world with overwhelming force in 1945 to one barely able to keep the occupation of Germany and Japan going and arguably outclassed by North Korea in the opening months of that conflict back to a military that is so superior in numbers and technology that it outclasses the two nearest national militaries combined and that costs to keep up. In terms of innovation that means you're going to have far fewer "mavericks" simply because you're already innovating or you lose the ability to keep relevant very quickly.
As a kid I always imagined the entirety of the passengers aboard airships did so within the confines of the small observation decks hanging below. It blew my mind when I saw a cutaway image of the Hindenburg complete with private rooms, lounges and restaurants.
I'm absolutely elated to see a new upload from you. The best part is that I've recently struck a fascination with airships. Lo and behold, you return with an amazing video on said topic!
Admiral Wiley is badass. In WWII he would command the battleship USS West Virginia from 1943-1945, and was the most accurate shooting battleship during the Battle of the Surigao Strait.
@ He absolutely did. Check out the book Rear Admiral Herbert V. Wiley, A Career in Airships and Battleships. There’s no Wikipedia article on him yet, there’s an article on a different Admiral Wiley.
It's a shame that airships never really took off. The few video games that include them spawned my love for them. I wish there were more videos as high quality as this one because they deserve more love!
Once a nation advances to fighter jets and missiles, there's no value in a dirigible, unfortunately. That being said, it could still make sense for some undeveloped countries running turboprop aircraft like Chad, provided they could acquire the helium. We can dream!
If you want to see a good movie about an Airship, there's The Red Tent (1969), about an expedition to the North Pole, with Sean Connery playing Amundsen. It has a wonderful opening sequence as they start their journey.
The CGI is so good that i think it looks even better than ''found and explained'', another excellent channel that pushing out videos like there is no tommorow, but i wish the CGI scenes were a little longer tbh.
William A. Moffett's name lives on at Moffett Federal Airfield on the San Francisco Bay now under the joint administration of NASA and the military. It includes Hanger One and Hanger Two which were built to house the airships. Completed in 1933, Hanger One is still one of the world's largest freestanding structures enclosing 8 acres of floorspace and its restoration will be completed this year, 2025.
Correct. Moffett Field was also an excellent air show site back in the day, featuring everything military related from the F-14 Tomcat to the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds.
Without a doubt this is one of the best UA-cam channels. The story telling, use of graphics, archive footage, script, cgi, editing, narration, length, soundtrack. It's all top notch.
@@wtdoober Back in the day History Channel was pretty good. Around the Bush Jr era it became a becon of disinformation. This Channel does everything better than even back then.
@@wtdoober History Channel used to be pretty good. Around the Bush Jr era it became a beacon of disinformation. This channel does better than HC ever did.
Northeast Ohio native, here. Thanks for sharing an incredible yet over looked part of my home town’s history! I lived close to the air dock for a majority of my life and it was and still is a common sight for me. It’s incredible to think that our nation had flying aircraft carriers at one point and had things gone a little differently for the airships, aerial warfare may had been changed forever. Thanks for sharing this incredible documentary! All the best!
I've been well aware of the Navy's work with airships in the 30s. But you managed to cover the important aspects, and make it interesting and engaging in just 20 minutes' time. Fantastic video. The only criticism, if any, would be maybe another minute or two in explanation of the parasite fighters and their trapeze system. Still... fantastic work.
I've been looking forward to Mustard's next video, and this was my greatest treat. The US Navy's flying Aircraft Carriers is a topic I have searched for without much more information I wanted. Your latest video was the most informational presentation I have found on this topic.
Im volunteering at a air museum and we have an engine from the uss los angeles (zr-3). Its great to see that her story is still getting out there. Love your videos by the way.
@@joshdevad4977 I'd heard of ZF gearboxes for a long time, but it was only a few months ago I learned that's actually the modern continuation of the Zeppelin company. IDK why but I always assumed it had gone under!
Your videos are such a treat - the storytelling and production value are premium. Enjoyed watching this on my 50inch in 4k. drool. those renders and archive footage. Re. the topic, airships are so epic, miss understood and one could say before their time. Cause and effect. Imagine them returning with the precision engineering of the 21st century. I'm sure they'd make for some efficient and spectacle use cases
Very informative and accurate. Thank you. I have always loved lighter than air and read every decent book on them. My grandfather was a civilian LTA flight trainer at NAS Key West who trained many of the sailors who went on to be USN LTA senior staff. He quit in 1921, but stayed in contact with them until his death.
I've read about the Akron and Macon my whole life, I've been fascinated by them and what would be known as "diesel punk". I've never heard the story of them hunting down FDR's ship, that was an awesome story! Great video!
I wanted to say thank you for covering this story that is very much brushed under the rug. My friends grandfather served in the U.S. navy airships and knew 2 of the 3 sailors who were carried away during that freak accident
I'm still astounded that videos like this can be watched for free on youtube. Thanks for the amazing content, both informative and with high production quality!
I live a half hour away from Akron, Ohio in a little town called Canal Fulton, Ohio. Even today, you can still see glimpses of the good year blimp in the sky from time to time during the summer. I love reading about all of the old airships, so thanks for posting! I love all of your content and have been watching since your TU-144 video
@@diamondcreepah Goodyear's 3 new ships aren't just gas bags...they do have an internal frame's... They are Zeppelin NT ships..... they are semi-rigid ships
There is more than one airship maker in the 1930's, and the biggest of them all is the Zeppelin Airline Company. The USS Los Angeles is a Zeppelin-built airship as part of the WW1 reparations and the USS Macon and USS Akron are designed by one Karl Ahrendt, a stress engineer from the Zeppelin Airline Company...
This was stated in videos like the 747 aircraft carrier video, but airborne aircraft carriers would honestly be a great thing to revisit in the modern day, especially with drones. Maybe not Arsenal Burd levels of offensive capabilities, but perhaps scout and support alongside conventional aircraft.
The Soviets built a jet-powered mothership aircraft for launching anti-ship missiles that flew in ground effect just above the surface of the ocean. It was the Lun-class ekranoplan. It was a sea plane, designed to land in the water for fuel and ammunition replenishment from ship tenders, and had a max speed of 297 knots (550kph/342mph). Flying up high may be more economical fuel-wise, but it would make the mothership stick out like a sore thumb due to its massive radar signature.
While the ridged fleet may have been scrapped, the LTA branch didn't go away after the accidents. They took what they learned and formed a more comprehensive fleet of smaller blimps that would over watch convoys crossing the Atlantic. One Admiral Karl Doenitz even stated that with a blimps supporting convoys it was extremely frustrating for his U-boat commanders to approach them. Leading to Doenitz to halt all U-boat operations in the western Atlantic area.
This video combines two of my favourite things - airships, military history - and just fills my head with alternate history scenarios. Great research, storytelling, and graphics - exceptional work! The Macon''s captain is a truly inspiring figure too - I would totally watch a feature film about this man and his sadly doomed ship.
It would be so cool to experience a trans-atlantic voyage in an airship. Shame i doubt i'll ever see that day. The idea of roaming around a ship and going to sleep in a cabin while in the air seems so wild
The Akron Class were as good as they could be. They were the fastest airships ever built, at 84 mph (USS Macon), and among the largest. You did miss a crucial element, however, in regard to the design flaw of the upper and lower fins of the class. You see, designer Dr Karl Arnstein in an effort to give the ships greater structural integrity developed what he called “deep rings”. These were large triangular structures - similar to the keel structure - spaced seventy-four feet apart. While heavier than traditional main rings, by spacing the deep rings further apart, less weight would be utilized, yet the structural integrity would still be greater. However, during the design phase in October 1929, the arrangement of the fins was altered. In order to give better landing sightlines, a second control room was added to the lower fin, which due to its position, required the fins to be extended outwards from the hull (in all directions), necessitating the fins being shorter in overall length. As a result, this had the effect of moving the leading edges of the fins aft of the forward deep ring it was originally designed to be attached to, resulting in only two deep rings providing structural integrity. So, the so-called design flaw was the US Navy’s own fault and was never corrected during the class’ lifetime. This essentially doomed both airships.
Actually, the later ZPG-3W blimps used by the Navy in the Cold War were even faster, with a top speed of about 94 mph. A modern rigid could likely achieve over 230 mph over short distances, due to excessive fuel use, but ~170 mph is actually where the peak productivity lies for many airship configurations, per Boeing’s analysis. Peak efficiency at very long distances is still around 90 mph, though.
That is interesting. Thanks for the information. always the case, non-engineers tinkering with a design or ordering changes and not giving the engineers the time to rework the design.
Just to add this change was in response to a handling accident on the Graf Zeppelin. where the rear tail had clipped some powerlines/cables on landing damaging the fin.
@@alexgorski1806 Yes, this was the impetus for the design change for the Akron Class. Lieutenant Commander Charles Rosendahl was aboard Graf Zeppelin during this incident - her around-the-world tour - and he did not want the same thing happening to these new ships. Thanks for bringing this up.
WWI showed that in air-combat Zeppelin’s (lifted by Hydrogen) were almost impossible to take down with machine guns mounted on biplanes. By WWII cannons with incendiary shells would have made mincemeat of them, even if they were Helium lifters. However, in-between the wars they seemed a good fit for a country that had almost all of the world’s Helium reserves. Nice use of Avengers alike music for these airbourne-carriers 😹
It's honestly disappointing that the video doesn't mention that while rigid airships ended after Macon in US Navy, the blimps were very extensively used during and after the WW2 in ASW role.
The interesting thing is that airships or at least aerostats are having a resurgence in airborne early warning with radar to detect sea skimming and low-flying aircraft and missiles
So so happy that you decided to highlight this incredible piece of aviation history. Working at Moffett Field, you can definitely feel the history all around you.
Weren't small blimps used for coastal defense though? I remember seeing a video about one showing up in a town without it's crew, presumably they fell into the ocean
It's ashamed that airships are taken down for being too dangerous, I always dream of a world where they still exist and dominate the skies alongside with the airplanes
While not airships, tethered aerostats are valuable ISR platforms still used today. We had them in the middle east during the GWOT to protect bases and surveil large swathes of terrain. The Philippines has a maritime surveillance version to watch Chinese activities in the South China Sea. It also provides AWACS like radar coverage.
the funny thing is that the structural flaw in the fins eas easily fixable. and if we'd gone through with the project they might have even impacted the war.
So basically, as most of the time an unconventional idea fails, it’s the lack of willingness to adapt of the given military branch and/or government that causes the failure, not actually problems with the machinery itself
Yes and no. yes the military wanted to use them as the German high seas fleet had during the first world war. However the airship branch couldn't really come into its own without more support, that it didn't have. it was the same thing with carriers. there was only 3 carrier admirals, 1 airship admiral, but 12 battleship admirals before the war. and that reflected in the fleets allocation of funds. even the carrier admirals recognized the sheer scouting power of airships. but the battleship admirals dominated the fleet and the funding.
The mention of the Lexington is extra fun for me - I spent a night aboard that carrier in its current role as a museum ship, it's fun to imagine that very same vessel was involved in this event.
I doubt an airship would survive its biplanes finding the IJN Combined Fleet. Not only is its own speed dismally slow, its scouts have to return to the airship, so they would lead the enemy fighters straight back to the airship.
I truly believe given todays technology, airships can become practical for other uses, like airship cruises over beautiful natural untouched land, or replace semi-trucks on the road by transporting goods for a tenth of the cost, or even a atonomous mobile warehouse that drones can collect and deliver packages from. Plus our weather prediction is way better and since an airship can just move, it would always be able to avoid bad weather, which doomed many airships before.
Great story about the Macon and the Akron. I remember running across a book about them in the university library and being very confused that the book about two aircraft carriers I did not know about, had dirigibles on the cover. Only when I dug in, did I understand what the Navy had done and tested. Thank you, again
The real reason dirigibles were abandoned wasn't due to setbacks, or even advancing tech. These were prototypes. The fully developed variant would have a much larger capacity for planes, armor, guns, etc. You could make 'em way longer and slimmer and they'd be faster, more stable. They could be made to dwarf conventional carriers and shrug off multiple waves of Japanese planes, as well as itself being the heaviest strategic bomber ever. Do you know how hard it is to hit a relatively slow moving aircraft when you're flying 3 times as fast? And dirigibles that aren't filled with hydrogen can take a massive number of bullets before it goes down. And then you just patch her up in the field and refill from a tender ship. Can't do that with a steel boat. It could have been the way we hit back at the Japanese, hard, from the start. Imagine a couple of mile long dirigibles appearing in the skies over Midway...Dropping tons of bombs on ships and launching fighters like a swarm of angry hornets after you throw a rock at their hive, while firing back at attacking Japanese planes with more AA guns than they'd be able to count. You can make any amount of mass rise into the air if you have a big enough bag. The real reason they didn't go anywhere is because of public feedback from people who didn't realize our dirigibles were filled with helium. They were afraid of having regular Hindenburg disasters all over the place. It is the same reason we didn't develop them for transport. Sure, a plane will always be substantially faster but they would have basically been floating cruise ships in a time when airlines didn't have many options for long distance flying. Surely a dirigible makes more sense than a flying boat that doesn't go any faster than the dirigible. In 2025, they seem like the ultimate solution for eliminating CO2 emissions from overland cargo transport with trucks and trains in the US is the dirigible. Would be faster even. You can't feasibly make a practical electric heavier than air craft but you can turn a dirigible into a floating solar farm. And I think there are a lot of people who would give up the speed of a jet to have a more relaxing vacation experience. The dirigible ride would be part of the experience, just like a cruise ship, but with far less vomiting.
18:15 - tbf Robin Olds was a legend before Vietnam. He’d become an Ace both in P-38s & P-51s in WWII becoming a Squadron Commander. Fights with superiors led to him being bounced from Korea, despite being one of the US’s most accomplished jet fighter pilots, taking part in aerobatic displays across the US. His aggressive Wolfpack Wing tactics in Vietnam wreaked havoc with the MiG-21s despite its technical advantages over the F-4 Phantom.
Nothing can stop me from loving airships, they are so epic
Even after two months of working on this video, the thought of sleeping on one of these still blows my mind
Same here
Not even hydrogen?🤔😏
Who was gonna stop you
If only they were just a little more practical. Still they were real beauties for the time.
Navy: “Do this job.”
Guy: *does job*
Navy: “NOOOOOOOO WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”
That's military politics for you.
“You did the job so good, that you made the rest of us look bad. So, BAD JOB!!!!”
This is the military everyday even at this age lol
@@HipHopIsLifee this kind of attitude is so pervasive >.< I'm sure it must hold back a lot of engineers.
Kelly Johnson knew this
Blud went missing for 5 months and returned with the most fire video I have ever seen.
It's more like his production time is 4 months per documentary. Which makes every single one worth watching
and now that CL-1201 video is going viral in memes 💀
@@spaceeDolphin This is why I much prefer this channel's content to channels such as Megaprojects, which churn out content daily, but which feels rushed and error-strewn.
You must be new here. Mustard has always uploaded quality rather than quantity.
Kid thinks he’s cool for saying blud every sentence
Airships and armored trains are something that didn't really pan out, but that doesn't stop them in the rule of cool.
Armored trains fared better, they were used often and still are, the North Korean president has a personal armored train
So does Putin
There's been deployment of (improvised) armoured trains in the war in Ukraine. Turns out it's a pretty efficient way to patrol railways etc.
@@anon-iraq2655 i think he means trains with tank turrets artillery and more on top
Armoured trains had a pretty good run, they were used effectively throughout the entire first and 2nd world war as well as inbetween pretty much.
Captain Wiley is extremely admirable. He survived the Akron and willingly went right back to work on the Macon. He even helped to improve her tactics. Despite the unfortunate end of these ships, it’s inspiring to see how the enthusiasts creatively worked to keep the dream alive.
Finally, a comment that isn’t about Mustard.
And yes, captain Wiley was… wily indeed, especially with his decision to find the ship FDR was on instead of sticking to the exercise.
It almost seems like a different era. When was the last time the Navy really had mavericks pushing toward a singular goal? Now it seems largely corporatized with at best you have minor differences between the Atlantic and Pacific fleets.
Did you write this comment with GenAI?
@@paleoph6168 Ya but also proving the rule, "don't show up your commanders because they will make your life a living hell AND take away your birthday if you do"
More to the actual point though he DID royally screw up by radioing the Houston, if they'd just dropped mail/papers and gone back once the Houston was 'safe' that would be one thing and maybe the Navy would have spun the story in a more positive light. As it was they likely would have screwed the airship even more had it not been lost.
@@Teampegleg Budgets far short of keeping up maintenance and training let alone experimenting with new technology and tactics is a hard task master. Since that time we've been supporting a strong enough military to fight two wars simultaneously with a budget that's far beyond that of any other nations capability. We went from the biggest military in the world at the end of WWII with the power to project anywhere in the world with overwhelming force in 1945 to one barely able to keep the occupation of Germany and Japan going and arguably outclassed by North Korea in the opening months of that conflict back to a military that is so superior in numbers and technology that it outclasses the two nearest national militaries combined and that costs to keep up. In terms of innovation that means you're going to have far fewer "mavericks" simply because you're already innovating or you lose the ability to keep relevant very quickly.
As a kid I always imagined the entirety of the passengers aboard airships did so within the confines of the small observation decks hanging below. It blew my mind when I saw a cutaway image of the Hindenburg complete with private rooms, lounges and restaurants.
Have a look at the interior photos of the British R100.
I still thought that until your comment…..
@@fredblonder7850 wow, just looked it up…they have a whole 3 story building in there!
No showers, though
@@NathanDudani The 𝑯𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒈 had a shower for the passengers.
"He's not around a lot but when he is around he hits hard"
Lol
true
Oh you know my dad?
That's what she saiddd
That is Mustard for ya
the Macon really did a redemption arc only to die because of poor choices
corporate bureaucracy and shipyard lobbyists killed it. Forget the price tag.
This Chanel is the Definition Of Quality over Quantity.. And Each Video is better than the last. This Guy is the king of Absolute Cinema.
glaze
@@Michael-ft1bd he just telling the truth
literally every video is dripping with quality
Meanwhile found and explained is making slop
stop capitalizing everything goofball
Mustard actually never goes missing for months. He is simply perfecting the next video to somehow top the last one he made
18:29
Mustard: Coming soon...
Me: *Gasp* New video soon?????
Mustard: to Nebula
Me: Goddamnit :/
I'm broke a$$
Moffat walked so Wiley could run
I need you write some scripts :)
@@MustardChannel face reveal when
@zadinzadin never reveal. the magic disappears
@zadinzadinis he the guy who does FortNine motorcycle videos? They're both Canadian .
@@Roddy556 ain't no way
U.S. before Pearl Harbour: "lol this is useless"
U.S. after Pearl Harbour: "where were you when the Westworld fell??"
*westfold
Akron: Went the same way as the Arizona but decades before..... *WHAT DO YOU THINK?!*
I'm absolutely elated to see a new upload from you. The best part is that I've recently struck a fascination with airships. Lo and behold, you return with an amazing video on said topic!
I can never get bored of airships. Thanks for watching!
Admiral Wiley is badass. In WWII he would command the battleship USS West Virginia from 1943-1945, and was the most accurate shooting battleship during the Battle of the Surigao Strait.
I think you got those wrong. According to Wikipedia, Admiral Wiley didnt serve in the Battleships.
@ He absolutely did. Check out the book Rear Admiral Herbert V. Wiley, A Career in Airships and Battleships. There’s no Wikipedia article on him yet, there’s an article on a different Admiral Wiley.
Macon needs a movie, and Wiley needs a miniseries.
It's a shame that airships never really took off. The few video games that include them spawned my love for them. I wish there were more videos as high quality as this one because they deserve more love!
Once a nation advances to fighter jets and missiles, there's no value in a dirigible, unfortunately. That being said, it could still make sense for some undeveloped countries running turboprop aircraft like Chad, provided they could acquire the helium. We can dream!
If you want to see a good movie about an Airship, there's The Red Tent (1969), about an expedition to the North Pole, with Sean Connery playing Amundsen. It has a wonderful opening sequence as they start their journey.
Crimson Skies?
@@Nukepositive I think there are some floating radar platforms, for when you don't want a plane to fly the mission.
Kirov reporting!
The CGI is so good that i think it looks even better than ''found and explained'', another excellent channel that pushing out videos like there is no tommorow, but i wish the CGI scenes were a little longer tbh.
William A. Moffett's name lives on at Moffett Federal Airfield on the San Francisco Bay now under the joint administration of NASA and the military. It includes Hanger One and Hanger Two which were built to house the airships. Completed in 1933, Hanger One is still one of the world's largest freestanding structures enclosing 8 acres of floorspace and its restoration will be completed this year, 2025.
Correct. Moffett Field was also an excellent air show site back in the day, featuring everything military related from the F-14 Tomcat to the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds.
Is hanger 2 still there?
@georgeburns7251 Yes. Hangar 3, however, was unfortunately demolished last year. It's not known if Hangar 2 will be left standing or not.
@@youngbloodhobby99 Isn't that the building that is so big it gets its own weather patterns like fog?
Isn't that where MythBusters went to test one of the myths?
Without a doubt this is one of the best UA-cam channels. The story telling, use of graphics, archive footage, script, cgi, editing, narration, length, soundtrack. It's all top notch.
Put bro on the history channel 😭🙏
Sounds like AI narration now though.
@@wtdoober better than history channel
@@wtdoober Back in the day History Channel was pretty good. Around the Bush Jr era it became a becon of disinformation. This Channel does everything better than even back then.
@@wtdoober History Channel used to be pretty good. Around the Bush Jr era it became a beacon of disinformation. This channel does better than HC ever did.
Northeast Ohio native, here. Thanks for sharing an incredible yet over looked part of my home town’s history! I lived close to the air dock for a majority of my life and it was and still is a common sight for me. It’s incredible to think that our nation had flying aircraft carriers at one point and had things gone a little differently for the airships, aerial warfare may had been changed forever. Thanks for sharing this incredible documentary! All the best!
Ohio bro
I've been well aware of the Navy's work with airships in the 30s. But you managed to cover the important aspects, and make it interesting and engaging in just 20 minutes' time. Fantastic video. The only criticism, if any, would be maybe another minute or two in explanation of the parasite fighters and their trapeze system. Still... fantastic work.
It’s things like this that make you wonder how modern combat would look if these became the standard. Thanks for another great video!
Zveno vs this ships?
They would have those r2d2 looking mini guns and tons of A2A and cruise missiles and would look like some sci-fi alien warship.
It would look a lot like Command and Conquer Red Alert 2 probably.
wouldnt last too long assuming Things like radar and guided missiles also exist. the Radar cross section of such a thing is HUGE.
@@SimonBauer7Isn't the same for naval aircraft carriers?
I've been looking forward to Mustard's next video, and this was my greatest treat. The US Navy's flying Aircraft Carriers is a topic I have searched for without much more information I wanted. Your latest video was the most informational presentation I have found on this topic.
Im volunteering at a air museum and we have an engine from the uss los angeles (zr-3). Its great to see that her story is still getting out there. Love your videos by the way.
If any of yall are in the fort worth area come visit the Fort Worth Air museum. Many of our war birds have amazing stories
IIRC, the Los Angeles was the one made by Germany and taken as a WWI reparation. It was also the only rigid airship in the US Navy to survive.
@dugroz yes she was made by the zeppelin company after the war but was sadly retired and scrapped in 1939.
@@joshdevad4977 I'd heard of ZF gearboxes for a long time, but it was only a few months ago I learned that's actually the modern continuation of the Zeppelin company. IDK why but I always assumed it had gone under!
Your videos are such a treat - the storytelling and production value are premium. Enjoyed watching this on my 50inch in 4k. drool. those renders and archive footage.
Re. the topic, airships are so epic, miss understood and one could say before their time. Cause and effect. Imagine them returning with the precision engineering of the 21st century. I'm sure they'd make for some efficient and spectacle use cases
The quality of your videos really are worth paying for
Thanks
Thank you!
A new Mustard video drop on my Bday, best present ever! 🎉
Happy birthday!🎈 🎂 🥳
happy birthday
@@MustardChannel Mine is the 2nd of April. Just sayin'....🤭
It's your birthday too
Very informative and accurate. Thank you. I have always loved lighter than air and read every decent book on them. My grandfather was a civilian LTA flight trainer at NAS Key West who trained many of the sailors who went on to be USN LTA senior staff. He quit in 1921, but stayed in contact with them until his death.
I've read about the Akron and Macon my whole life, I've been fascinated by them and what would be known as "diesel punk". I've never heard the story of them hunting down FDR's ship, that was an awesome story! Great video!
if you like dieselpunk, you'll *love* wolfenstein tno and wolfenstein ii tnc
The animation is unbelievable, the sun shining over the sparrowhawk’s wings is beautiful
You never Disappoint Love every video ♥
that one war thunder content creator
real
Bro two legends in one comment section is insane
@@thegreenlandicgamerwhy is your verified squished
I wanted to say thank you for covering this story that is very much brushed under the rug. My friends grandfather served in the U.S. navy airships and knew 2 of the 3 sailors who were carried away during that freak accident
I'm still astounded that videos like this can be watched for free on youtube. Thanks for the amazing content, both informative and with high production quality!
This channel is a paragon of quality content. I Always get excited to see a new Mustard release, thank you for sticking with it all these years!
I live a half hour away from Akron, Ohio in a little town called Canal Fulton, Ohio. Even today, you can still see glimpses of the good year blimp in the sky from time to time during the summer. I love reading about all of the old airships, so thanks for posting! I love all of your content and have been watching since your TU-144 video
Fun fact: most of the Goodyear blimps today are still made by Luftschiffbau Zeppelin, the same company that made the Hindenburg
@@diamondcreepah blimps are not as good
@@diamondcreepah Goodyear's 3 new ships aren't just gas bags...they do have an internal frame's... They are Zeppelin NT ships..... they are semi-rigid ships
I have been obsessed with these flying aircraft carriers for years and this is the best video I've seen on them yet. Thanks!
This might be my favorite Mustard upload yet. Great job explaining the story of these little spoken of marvels of engineering and passion!
So Up is what happened if the Macon didn’t crash but was sold to an eccentric explorer after being proved obsolete?
Wonderful movie.
There is more than one airship maker in the 1930's, and the biggest of them all is the Zeppelin Airline Company. The USS Los Angeles is a Zeppelin-built airship as part of the WW1 reparations and the USS Macon and USS Akron are designed by one Karl Ahrendt, a stress engineer from the Zeppelin Airline Company...
@ yeah but the Spirit of Adventure had Sparrowhawks
@@judet2992I forgot all about that
incredible research, artwork, animation and narration, as always!!!
What a chad move, saying "screw it, I'll trace your untraceable ship and deliver packages to it"
Just want to genuinely thank you for these amazing videos you put out!
The Military Channel and History Channel perfected this kind of content, and then refused to keep producing it. So glad channels like this revived it.
another wonderful, historic, and informational video I love it!!!!!
Such a cool period of history and an amazing feat of engineering. Top video as always Mustard, thanks!
THE KING RETURNS
i have watched all mustard's videos on youtube and nebula, most well spent days of my life
Great video man. This makes me think about one of my favorite games Crimson Skys and that alternative universe.
My thoughts exactly! The memories I have of hours spent on this game when I was younger I will forever remember!
Crimson skies really could've used a sequel. Fantastic game.
7:13 "six year old boy attacked by wolves" is the most stereotypical "headline next to the plot relevant one" in a documentary ever somehow??
Bro i was looking for someone who saw it too 😂
This was stated in videos like the 747 aircraft carrier video, but airborne aircraft carriers would honestly be a great thing to revisit in the modern day, especially with drones. Maybe not Arsenal Burd levels of offensive capabilities, but perhaps scout and support alongside conventional aircraft.
It can take more of a territorial guard role. Transport troops and supplies.
The Soviets built a jet-powered mothership aircraft for launching anti-ship missiles that flew in ground effect just above the surface of the ocean. It was the Lun-class ekranoplan.
It was a sea plane, designed to land in the water for fuel and ammunition replenishment from ship tenders, and had a max speed of 297 knots (550kph/342mph).
Flying up high may be more economical fuel-wise, but it would make the mothership stick out like a sore thumb due to its massive radar signature.
Thanks!
Thank you!
@@MustardChannel thanks to you my kids your videos
Finally the legend reappears when we needed him the most..
Your videos are incredible, and the topic of airships and airship carriers is always a huge win! Amazing as always man, you're awesome!
10:26 Mustard swearing was NOT on my 2025 bingo card
Bro yes! You finally posted! I literally watch ur videos when playing ps4. I love ur videos. Good work man😊
props to whoever does those incredible visuals!
While the ridged fleet may have been scrapped, the LTA branch didn't go away after the accidents. They took what they learned and formed a more comprehensive fleet of smaller blimps that would over watch convoys crossing the Atlantic. One Admiral Karl Doenitz even stated that with a blimps supporting convoys it was extremely frustrating for his U-boat commanders to approach them. Leading to Doenitz to halt all U-boat operations in the western Atlantic area.
Thank you for this informative and nice to watch video, but 0:11 Is there a mistake? 785ft equals 239m isn't it?
No
@@chaliboy-wf7ol785 meters does not equal 785 feet
AI is gayi
This video combines two of my favourite things - airships, military history - and just fills my head with alternate history scenarios.
Great research, storytelling, and graphics - exceptional work!
The Macon''s captain is a truly inspiring figure too - I would totally watch a feature film about this man and his sadly doomed ship.
It would be so cool to experience a trans-atlantic voyage in an airship. Shame i doubt i'll ever see that day. The idea of roaming around a ship and going to sleep in a cabin while in the air seems so wild
I think that depends if the start-ups actually succeed in doing what they say they were going to try and do.
Hello, airplanes?
Yeah, it's blimps.
You win, bye.
Sound design for the videos are amazing
HE'S BACK
This is the ONLY channel I look forward to watching videos. Please, never stop making videos.
Don't forget R33, an airship operated by Royal Navy capable of carrying small aircraft like Sopwith Camel and Gloster Greebe
Some of the best quality content that UA-cam, or even the INTERNET, has to offer. Kudos 👍
The Akron Class were as good as they could be. They were the fastest airships ever built, at 84 mph (USS Macon), and among the largest. You did miss a crucial element, however, in regard to the design flaw of the upper and lower fins of the class. You see, designer Dr Karl Arnstein in an effort to give the ships greater structural integrity developed what he called “deep rings”. These were large triangular structures - similar to the keel structure - spaced seventy-four feet apart. While heavier than traditional main rings, by spacing the deep rings further apart, less weight would be utilized, yet the structural integrity would still be greater. However, during the design phase in October 1929, the arrangement of the fins was altered. In order to give better landing sightlines, a second control room was added to the lower fin, which due to its position, required the fins to be extended outwards from the hull (in all directions), necessitating the fins being shorter in overall length. As a result, this had the effect of moving the leading edges of the fins aft of the forward deep ring it was originally designed to be attached to, resulting in only two deep rings providing structural integrity. So, the so-called design flaw was the US Navy’s own fault and was never corrected during the class’ lifetime. This essentially doomed both airships.
Actually, the later ZPG-3W blimps used by the Navy in the Cold War were even faster, with a top speed of about 94 mph. A modern rigid could likely achieve over 230 mph over short distances, due to excessive fuel use, but ~170 mph is actually where the peak productivity lies for many airship configurations, per Boeing’s analysis. Peak efficiency at very long distances is still around 90 mph, though.
That is interesting. Thanks for the information. always the case, non-engineers tinkering with a design or ordering changes and not giving the engineers the time to rework the design.
@Jjames763 I'm sorry. I should have said dirigable
Just to add this change was in response to a handling accident on the Graf Zeppelin. where the rear tail had clipped some powerlines/cables on landing damaging the fin.
@@alexgorski1806 Yes, this was the impetus for the design change for the Akron Class. Lieutenant Commander Charles Rosendahl was aboard Graf Zeppelin during this incident - her around-the-world tour - and he did not want the same thing happening to these new ships. Thanks for bringing this up.
The brotherhood of the Macron crew had to be so badass up until they passed. Imagine the old vet stories THEY were telling back in the day!
WWI showed that in air-combat Zeppelin’s (lifted by Hydrogen) were almost impossible to take down with machine guns mounted on biplanes. By WWII cannons with incendiary shells would have made mincemeat of them, even if they were Helium lifters. However, in-between the wars they seemed a good fit for a country that had almost all of the world’s Helium reserves.
Nice use of Avengers alike music for these airbourne-carriers 😹
Incendiary bullets already started to bring down airships back in WWI, starting in September 1916.
More Zeppelins were lost to bad weather than by combat. That was a problem that was never solved.
Incredible video. Dramatic, informative, great editing, great story telling and the illustrations are awesome. Thank you
It's honestly disappointing that the video doesn't mention that while rigid airships ended after Macon in US Navy, the blimps were very extensively used during and after the WW2 in ASW role.
Doesnt Mustard usually cover one Machine at a time?
The interesting thing is that airships or at least aerostats are having a resurgence in airborne early warning with radar to detect sea skimming and low-flying aircraft and missiles
MUSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD!!!
Such a good video, thank you for your efforts
This is what peak content looks like 🗣️🗣️🔥🔥
So so happy that you decided to highlight this incredible piece of aviation history.
Working at Moffett Field, you can definitely feel the history all around you.
12:15 bro is this the Avengers theme!?
Weren't small blimps used for coastal defense though? I remember seeing a video about one showing up in a town without it's crew, presumably they fell into the ocean
There's a good book, "When Giants Ruled the Skies" that goes into all of this in greater detail, if anyone is interested
These actually existed? Absolutely epic
It's ashamed that airships are taken down for being too dangerous, I always dream of a world where they still exist and dominate the skies alongside with the airplanes
I now see why it takes so long to make these videos. Super informative and high quality
While not airships, tethered aerostats are valuable ISR platforms still used today. We had them in the middle east during the GWOT to protect bases and surveil large swathes of terrain.
The Philippines has a maritime surveillance version to watch Chinese activities in the South China Sea. It also provides AWACS like radar coverage.
Not only was this a good video, it also had the best pitch for Nebula I have seen yet!
the funny thing is that the structural flaw in the fins eas easily fixable. and if we'd gone through with the project they might have even impacted the war.
Almost certainly not. As mentioned in the vid their use was easily superseded by heavier than air sea-planes.
Bro. When this guy uploads, you literally have to watch it. Love your vids, keep it up!
So basically, as most of the time an unconventional idea fails, it’s the lack of willingness to adapt of the given military branch and/or government that causes the failure, not actually problems with the machinery itself
Yes and no. yes the military wanted to use them as the German high seas fleet had during the first world war. However the airship branch couldn't really come into its own without more support, that it didn't have. it was the same thing with carriers. there was only 3 carrier admirals, 1 airship admiral, but 12 battleship admirals before the war. and that reflected in the fleets allocation of funds. even the carrier admirals recognized the sheer scouting power of airships. but the battleship admirals dominated the fleet and the funding.
amazing quality from this video. You've outdone yourselves, very enjoyable watch
We need a Crimson Skies remake.
Ya seriously talk about a franchise that needs to comeback
The mention of the Lexington is extra fun for me - I spent a night aboard that carrier in its current role as a museum ship, it's fun to imagine that very same vessel was involved in this event.
I doubt an airship would survive its biplanes finding the IJN Combined Fleet. Not only is its own speed dismally slow, its scouts have to return to the airship, so they would lead the enemy fighters straight back to the airship.
Hands down the best channel on UA-cam. Incredible work as always.
I truly believe given todays technology, airships can become practical for other uses, like airship cruises over beautiful natural untouched land, or replace semi-trucks on the road by transporting goods for a tenth of the cost, or even a atonomous mobile warehouse that drones can collect and deliver packages from. Plus our weather prediction is way better and since an airship can just move, it would always be able to avoid bad weather, which doomed many airships before.
Man, this is worth the wait. Great and informative vid as always.
Found this randomly The Censored Guide to Wealth on Bovolorus and wow it's a game changer
Pretty cool video dude, I love the concept of airships, and i may even try this nebula thing of yours, seems cool and not even expensive
A new mustard video is like a blessing
Great story about the Macon and the Akron. I remember running across a book about them in the university library and being very confused that the book about two aircraft carriers I did not know about, had dirigibles on the cover. Only when I dug in, did I understand what the Navy had done and tested. Thank you, again
Feels like christmas
The real reason dirigibles were abandoned wasn't due to setbacks, or even advancing tech. These were prototypes. The fully developed variant would have a much larger capacity for planes, armor, guns, etc. You could make 'em way longer and slimmer and they'd be faster, more stable. They could be made to dwarf conventional carriers and shrug off multiple waves of Japanese planes, as well as itself being the heaviest strategic bomber ever. Do you know how hard it is to hit a relatively slow moving aircraft when you're flying 3 times as fast? And dirigibles that aren't filled with hydrogen can take a massive number of bullets before it goes down. And then you just patch her up in the field and refill from a tender ship. Can't do that with a steel boat. It could have been the way we hit back at the Japanese, hard, from the start. Imagine a couple of mile long dirigibles appearing in the skies over Midway...Dropping tons of bombs on ships and launching fighters like a swarm of angry hornets after you throw a rock at their hive, while firing back at attacking Japanese planes with more AA guns than they'd be able to count. You can make any amount of mass rise into the air if you have a big enough bag.
The real reason they didn't go anywhere is because of public feedback from people who didn't realize our dirigibles were filled with helium. They were afraid of having regular Hindenburg disasters all over the place. It is the same reason we didn't develop them for transport. Sure, a plane will always be substantially faster but they would have basically been floating cruise ships in a time when airlines didn't have many options for long distance flying. Surely a dirigible makes more sense than a flying boat that doesn't go any faster than the dirigible.
In 2025, they seem like the ultimate solution for eliminating CO2 emissions from overland cargo transport with trucks and trains in the US is the dirigible. Would be faster even. You can't feasibly make a practical electric heavier than air craft but you can turn a dirigible into a floating solar farm.
And I think there are a lot of people who would give up the speed of a jet to have a more relaxing vacation experience. The dirigible ride would be part of the experience, just like a cruise ship, but with far less vomiting.
Babe wake up, Mustard posted new video!
18:15 - tbf Robin Olds was a legend before Vietnam. He’d become an Ace both in P-38s & P-51s in WWII becoming a Squadron Commander. Fights with superiors led to him being bounced from Korea, despite being one of the US’s most accomplished jet fighter pilots, taking part in aerobatic displays across the US. His aggressive Wolfpack Wing tactics in Vietnam wreaked havoc with the MiG-21s despite its technical advantages over the F-4 Phantom.