Would Zeppelins Have EVER Been Widespread?

Structural method doesn't really seem to have a lot to do with it; those 1950s naval ships were blimps.

The point is that there's a difference - full out rigid airships versus smaller semirigids.

Again, it got better in the 50s. But one way it got better was, there were places they stayed away from! The Midwest being one--but then again, the vast majority of all American airships of all types were made by Goodyear, in or near Akron Ohio.

http://www.airships.net/us-navy-rigid-airships/uss-shenandoah

Posted as it includes information on the Shenandoah's design, which seems to have been exactly the wrong one for conditions more than anything about airships specifically.

Well, if your craft can only go 60-70 knots at most, it's going to take some time to cover any long distance. There had better be kitchens and beds!

Three days or so to cross the Atlantic. I don't think would be unable to carry more people if you were willing to compromise on those instead of it being first class in a luxury-liner compatible sort of way.
 
Where? I've never flown on a 747, but where do you put it?

The distinctive "hump" of 747s is a small second deck, which contains the cockpit and (in the current standard passenger configuration) a business class seating section, was originally intended to serve as a first-class lounge. Piano bars were not uncommon.
 
Several people have compared airships to liners. Good comparison - notice that all the liners are dead.

Cruise ships are a hugely different thing in purpose, and I really can't see people doing 'cruises' in an airship.

For one thing, look at the scale of modern cruise ships. They can spread the cost of construction over THOUSANDS of passengers.

People talk about pianos and room on airships vs planes. Others have pointed out that the original jumbos HAD that space - and the airlines found it more economical to convert it all into seating.

People bitch about the tiny space allocated for airline seats in modern planes (legitimately), but when actually shopping for a flight, choose the cheapest one - which means the airline that jams 10% more passengers in and can offer a 10% cheaper fare gets the business.

I REALLY can't see top executives spending 3 days to cross the Atlantic these days.


As much as I desperately would like airships to be far more common, I really can't see them in more than niche markets. And the fact that every single enterprise that's tried running them has gone belly up says something about how difficult it IS (in reality) to get them to pay for themselves.


An early PoD where airships mature faster than planes would go a LONG way towards improving their prospects, but even so they'd still be a niche today, I think.
 
People bitch about the tiny space allocated for airline seats in modern planes (legitimately), but when actually shopping for a flight, choose the cheapest one - which means the airline that jams 10% more passengers in and can offer a 10% cheaper fare gets the business.
Um, you may find this surprising, but all aircraft of a particular model have exactly the same dimensions for the seats, no matter which airline is running the blasted thing.
 
Couldn't pass this discussion up.

I'm admittedly overly-optomistic about the possibilities of airships in alt-history.

I don't think airships could have been the DOMINANT air transportation vehicle. HOWEVER, with the right situations it could have dominated trans-continental air travel for a while.

In my TL (Airship President, and it's squeal, the Airship Legacy), I keep the Nazis from taking power in Germany by having Hindenburg die in 1932 and Hugo Eckener running and getting elected.
By doing this our WWII is eliminated and airplanes develop at a slower rate, and airships get a needed government boost in both Germany and the USA...so by the mid 1940s the fastest way to cross the oceans is by airship.

By the present days airships are still around, but not in dominant service. Luxury trans-atlantic airliners, Caribbean and pacific air-cruises, cargo transport, fleet lookouts for the navy, and other similar niche roles. They are used for island hopping still and also in Africa and other developing countries, so it's still viable. (admittedly, I had several major accidents with airplanes in the 40s and 50s that keep people a bit more leery of airplanes.), also delay jetliners until the late...1970s I believe (jet technology for the military exists earlier, BUT takes longer to apply to civil uses).

Like I already said, this is overly optimistic. BUT....I do think that had airship technology had a bit more time to develop, plus a bit better luck accident-wise in the early days, that they would have survived in greater number and in larger size and filled several niche's that have already been pointed out.
 
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