What Does The Inside Of The Goodyear Blimp Look Like?
You may not realize it, but Goodyear has been flying its blimps in the skies of America and beyond for 100 years. Over that span, Goodyear’s aircraft have provided coverage for nearly every major sporting event imaginable, contributed to Allied efforts in World War II, and even been immortalized in the annals of 1990s hip-hop. In turn, The Goodyear Blimp has become not just a pop culture staple, but a legit icon of the skies.
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Given The Goodyear Blimp’s iconic status, most people are well acquainted with its blue, gold, and gray livery, as well as the brand’s winged-foot logo. We would, however, also wager that few have any real idea of what The Goodyear Blimp looks like inside, as it’s typically already flying high over one event or another when we see it.
So, what does the blimp part of The Goodyear Blimp look like on the inside? Well, that depends on which version of the blimp you’re examining, as there have been three styles in use since 1925. The first used were Rigid Airships, which featured a full frame supporting the blimp’s shell, which was otherwise empty and dangerously filled with flammable helium for flight. The second were non-rigid, featuring no internal structure save for air-filled ballonets that worked alongside non-flammable helium to create lift. The most recent Zeppelin NT blimps — of which there are four — are Semi-Rigid, which feature a partial internal structure that helps support the aircraft’s shape when it is filled with non-flammable helium.
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The Goodyear Blimp’s gondola is fancier than you might think
Before we go any further, we’ll acknowledge a fact that has likely already been keyed upon by blimp aficionados, which is that the presence of an internal structure means that the current lineup of Goodyear Blimps don’t technically qualify as blimps. Rather, they are designated as Semi-Rigid Aircraft. But at this point, one could argue that “The Goodyear Blimp” is as much of a brand name as Goodyear itself, the latter of which is best known for selling quality tires bearing its own logo, as well as those from a dozen other notable tire brands.
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Anyway, the main inflated envelope is only one part of The Goodyear Blimp, which has a Gondola affixed at the bottom to accommodate a flight crew and passengers. While internal views of the inflated part of the aircraft are harder to come by, views from the Gondola are fairly common. It may surprise some to learn the craft’s cockpit and passenger are pretty darn nice.
The Gondola of the current fleet is made from carbon fiber composite, which lightens the crafts’ overall weight by 800-pounds from previous models. The cockpit features chairs for both Captain and co-pilot, along with all the navigational controls you’d need for a safe flight. As for the cabin, it features seating for up to 12 passengers, and does indeed have an on-board bathroom. It’s also equipped with plenty of windows because, well, the views are the main attraction when taking flight in The Goodyear Blimp, save, of course, for the bragging rights of having done so.
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