Goodyear christening 2nd airship in fleet replacing blimps
Posted Oct 21, 2016 01:05:59 AM.
Last Updated Oct 21, 2016 10:40:31 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
AKRON, Ohio – Goodyear is officially welcoming the second airship in the fleet replacing its famous blimps.
The replacements look much like their predecessors but aren’t technically blimps because they have a fixed structure holding the balloon in place. They also are longer, have a third engine, make less noise and are more manoeuvrable.
The first new model, Wingfoot One, launched in 2014 and is based in Florida. Wingfoot Two already has been used for event coverage ahead of Friday’s christening in Akron, Ohio.
A spokeswoman says Wingfoot Two eventually will be based in Carson, California, where the last of the previous blimps has been operating. Goodyear expects to retire that blimp, the Spirit of Innovation, next year and start building the third vehicle in the new fleet.
