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| Bureau Number |
167811 |
| Crew |
2+ Up to 5 passengers |
| Volume |
4830 cubic meters |
| Lengths |
55 meters |
| Ceiling |
6,000 feet |
| Maximum Speed |
51 knots |
| Endurance at 45 knots |
15 hours |
| Payload |
1125 kg |
The MZ-3A is an airship purchased by the US Navy. It is a SPECTOR50 (commercial model A-170) airship, manufactured by the American Blimp Corporation. Operations began 3 May 2006 with 4 pilots assigned, 2 civilian and 2 Navy. Ground support was supplied by a group of 15 Naval Reserve Officers and Enlisted Men from NAS Patuxent River, MD, and civilian contractors. Operations continued to 1 June 2007. Operations were conducted from Hangar six at NAES Lakehurst. The program may have been related to the Navy's low-altitude littoral sensor program. The airship was operated by VX-20 LTAV Detachment, Naval Air Engineering Station, Lakehurst, NJ. Used for sensor experiments at Fort Dix, flight operations are halted though the MZ-3A (aka Airship Flying Laboratory) is under pressure watch with hopes that funding will be forthcoming to resume operations in late summer or early fall of 2007. The MZ-3A is all white and carries no markings.
As of February 01, 2007 the MZ-3A has been assigned to squadron VX-20 LTAV on location in NAES Lakehurst, NJ.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Announcement - Announcement
- Navy Lakehurst Historical Society, "The Airship," April-May 2007, "Navy LATV Unit Honors NLHS, pg 5
- Naval Airship Association, "The Noon Balloon" Summer 2006, "After 44 Years, Lakehurst Back in Lighter-Than-Air Flight Research," posted by the Asbury Park Press, 5/9/06, by Kirt More, Toms River Bureau, pgs 8-10.
[edit] External links
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