Tom Swift and His Airship

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Tom Swift and His Airship

Author	Victor Appleton
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Tom Swift
Genre(s)	Young adult novel Adventure novel
Publisher	Grosset & Dunlap
Publication date	1910
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	200+ pp
ISBN	NA
Preceded by	Tom Swift and His Motor Boat
Followed by	Tom Swift and His Submarine Boat

Tom Swift and His Airship, or, The Stirring Cruise of the Red Cloud, is Volume 3 in the original Tom Swift novel series published by Grosset & Dunlap.

[edit] Plot summary

Tom Swift has finished his latest invention: the Red Cloud, a fast and innovative airship and Tom is anxious for a cross-country trial. But just before he and his friends take off, the Shopton bank is robbed. No sooner is Tom in the air than he blamed for the robbery without his knowledge. Suddenly, he's a wanted fugitive, and doesn't know why until he's half-way across the country. With no safe harbor or friend on the land below, Tom must race back to Shopton to clear his name before he's shot out of the sky.

[edit] Inventions & Innovation

Tom Swift, and his friend (John Sharp - aeronaut extraordinaire), designed and built the Red Cloud: an airship that was half blimp/dirigible and half airplane. In fact, it had two wings (like the WWI biplanes) extending out from a spacious gondola which sat beneath the rather voluminous gas-filled balloon. It was fast, achieving over 80mph if pressed, and could stay in the air for two weeks at a time, if Tom wanted. Perhaps the most fantastic element of the craft was the gondola, which was luxuriously appointed with multiple rooms; e.g., a kitchen, an engine room, and a first-rate observation room from which Tom would steer the ship, while looking out the surrounding windows.