Cal Air - Airships

California International Air

THE AIRSHIPS - ZMC-2 AND SLATE MD-2

In 1929 Detroit Aircraft Corp. delivered to the US Navy at lakehurst Naval Air Station, lakehurst, New Jersey, one all metal 600,000 cubic foot displacement aluminum airship, the ZMC-2. ZMC was financed and built by some of America's most enterprising and astute engineers and manufacturers/ Why did't ZMC-2 lead to larger, better and more efficient airships? The history includes hundreds of photo's of ZMC-2 manufacture, operation and service plus numerous official documents. Concurrently in Glendale, California Captain benton Slate was building the Slate all metal airship which featured a corrugated skin, an innovative steam propulsion systems and a number of other innovations.

The world's largest form press was assembled at Grand Centrral Airport to build this airship. The site will feature a series of b&w photos on the development and initial flight of the Slate Airship, its facilities at Glendale and its many unique features and subsequent proposals for larger versions for the Dept of defense. Over 200 photographs of the Slate Airship are available along with a 15 minute video for those interested. Some print material will also be made available shortly for thise interested in this story. Other material on the age of the Airships will also be posted as it is assembles. We will try to post most of the data in graphics form where possible including The Count (Graf) Ferdinand von Zeppelin's portrait.