Akron, circa 1931
photo courtesy of Summit Memory/Akron-Summit County Public Library
Akron was the center of blimp construction in the U.S. more than a century ago, but the Blimp City continues to innovate at the Akron Airdock. The building is a marvel: After completion in 1929, it became the largest building without internal supports at 1,175 feet long. It’s so cavernous that some residents still claim, on a humid day with a sudden temperature drop, clouds can form inside and pour down rain. In 1931, it set another bar — it became home to the first rigid lighter-than-air airship built in Ohio: the pictured U.S.S. Akron used by the Navy. This March, the airdock was sold to Lockheed Martin and subleased to the California company Lighter Than Air. It has been working with University of Akron students to research unmanned aircraft systems and electric-powered airships that will reduce emissions, find new solutions to delivering aid and continue the airdock’s legacy as a home of cutting-edge airship technology.
