1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,320 Speaker 1: Ridiculous historians. Thank you, as always so much for tuning in. 2 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:08,280 Speaker 1: We're back with a classic episode for you to step two. 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:12,240 Speaker 1: I'm Ben Bullen, joined as always with our super producer, 4 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: mister Max Williams. Max, How you doing? 5 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:18,919 Speaker 2: I am doing well? Are we talking about Marvel today? Marvels. 6 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 1: We're not quite quing jet there yet. But I love 7 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:26,800 Speaker 1: that you mentioned this because you know, this classic episode 8 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:31,320 Speaker 1: hearkens back to retro sci fi. It hearkens back again 9 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: a little bit too previous careers and car stuff. Nowadays, zeppelins, blimps, airships, 10 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: call them what you want. They're seen as historical relics 11 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 1: or novelties that flow, you know, like the goodyear blimp 12 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:48,239 Speaker 1: at your favorite sports game. But it turns out that 13 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 1: not too long ago, the boffins in the US military 14 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 1: thought airships might be the future of warfare. Are you 15 00:00:57,880 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: familiar with this? Have you heard of this? 16 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 2: I have not, but just knowing the history of warfare, 17 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:05,400 Speaker 2: for every like one good idea they had, they had 18 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 2: like five hundred battle. 19 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, it was a really low hit rate. 20 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: Really yeah, real high rate of attrition. Real strange writers room. 21 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:18,760 Speaker 1: This classic episode is about something that was ambitious at 22 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: the very least, it's called the uss Acrin. 23 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 3: I'm wearing the Ohio shirt right now. 24 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:26,040 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, you are. What's to say? 25 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 2: It's tips for driving through driving in Ohio and it's 26 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 2: all the scoring plays that Michigan did Ohio state that year. 27 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 2: It's a high drive through Ohio's defense. 28 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 1: Can we put this part in? Yeah. Ridiculous History is 29 00:01:41,640 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 1: a production of iHeartRadio. If you're a fan of Marvel 30 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: comic books, you might be familiar with a aircraft called 31 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: the Hella Carrier. This thing is a floating base. It's 32 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 1: a floating aircraft carrier that's able to launch other smaller 33 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 1: aircraft off of it. It sounds really cool, it sounds impossible. 34 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 1: It sounds like a work of science fiction. But wait, Hi, 35 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: I'm Ben. 36 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 3: Is there more? I'm no, I'm I'm on the edge 37 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 3: of my seat, Ben. 38 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 1: Yes, welcome to Ridiculous History, folks, where you pay for 39 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 1: the entire seat, but you only need the edge. 40 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 4: That is, Ben, You are on fire this morning. It 41 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 4: is the morning, by the way, peek behind the curtain. 42 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 4: So if we sound a little groggy, you'll know why. 43 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 1: Also, also, I think that's a figure of speech from 44 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 1: an old an old Motorcade show or something. But yes, no, 45 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 1: there is a little bit more and with the help 46 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: of our super producer, Casey Pegram, we won't stand on ceremony. 47 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:12,919 Speaker 1: We'll dive right in. So at the offset. That sounds crazy. 48 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:14,959 Speaker 1: You're familiar with Marvel movies, right. 49 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 4: No, I am, but I just not the minutia like 50 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 4: I wouldn't know the vehicle you're talking about, Ben, But 51 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 4: it does sound pretty cool and very much in line 52 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 4: with a science fact thing we're going to talk about today. 53 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 3: But give us the segue. 54 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: Oh sure, sure, So the segue is the following. The 55 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: reason this idea feels so cool even in the realm 56 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 1: of superhero comics and science fiction, is because you have 57 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: so much more mobility. For a long long time, aircraft 58 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: carriers were juggernauts, and they still are in terms of 59 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:52,839 Speaker 1: military hardware, vessels, warfare, and so on, but they are 60 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:58,840 Speaker 1: limited in their mobility. They can go close to a 61 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 1: coastal area and they can send jets right or other 62 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: aircraft that can fly overland. 63 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 3: And we're talking about floating. 64 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 4: Aircraft carriers here, as in like by sea, right by sea, 65 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 4: by sea. 66 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 1: But imagine how amazing it would be in theory, if 67 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 1: we could have something that isn't restricted to water, if 68 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: we could have something that could fly overland itself and 69 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: then launch smaller craft. 70 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:24,600 Speaker 3: Why, Ben, in theory, that sounds like a fantastic idea. 71 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,840 Speaker 1: In theory nol it does so much so that in 72 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 1: the early twentieth century, the US Navy started designing a 73 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 1: real life flying aircraft carrier. And this for everyone who 74 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 1: tuned into our previous episode, this is where we get 75 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: to return to dirigibles airships. 76 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 4: I know you are thrilled about this, Ben, because, as 77 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 4: you've mentioned before on the show, you are a fan 78 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:52,359 Speaker 4: of these. 79 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:53,719 Speaker 3: Leviathans of the sky. 80 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: I'm into the whole thing esthetically. I got really close 81 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 1: actually a few years ago to writing in the Goodyear Blimp? 82 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 1: What Yeah? And I think I might still do it. 83 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 3: Do you know what you know? 84 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 5: A guy? 85 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: Yeah? 86 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, can you hook me up? 87 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: Well, That's what I was gonna ask Casey Noel. Do 88 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 1: you guys want to go try try to hop in 89 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 1: the Goodyear Blimp? 90 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 3: Could we do an extra credit segment from the Good 91 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 3: Year Blimp? 92 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:18,159 Speaker 1: I feel like we would have to. 93 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 4: I think we would have to. We would be duty bound. 94 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:22,040 Speaker 4: Those ridiculous historians. 95 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: So let's let's try to get that off the ground. Hey, 96 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 1: I don't know if it was worth it. 97 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:30,720 Speaker 4: I think it was worth it, Ben, So everything's worth it, 98 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 4: you know, it's very it's very kind, if a little broad. 99 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 1: I appreciate the sentiment. So in a previous episode on 100 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 1: how Germany gave up sausages for war, or specifically sausage 101 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: case and spoiler alert, we go into some detail about 102 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:50,120 Speaker 1: what an airship is, the difference between a blimp and 103 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: a zeppelin. 104 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 4: That was also the one where I profiled the guy 105 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:54,480 Speaker 4: as a Nazi because he had a Nazi sounding name, 106 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 4: and I apologize for that. Von Graf von Graff, Baron 107 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 4: Graf von Zeppelin and you know, wrong war frown. I 108 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 4: think it's a I think it's a great name. You know, 109 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 4: it's a fantastic name. And I also don't want to 110 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:13,279 Speaker 4: imply that every intensely German sounding name has the Nazi 111 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:14,160 Speaker 4: ring to it. 112 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:15,840 Speaker 3: So I just want to get that out of the 113 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:17,559 Speaker 3: way right now. I know we had a listener email 114 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:20,279 Speaker 3: and point that out, and Mia Koppa. 115 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:23,160 Speaker 1: You are seen and heard, and I hope you don't 116 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: beat yourself up. 117 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:26,599 Speaker 3: I beat myself up about any number of things. 118 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 4: This is pretty low on the list, but I did 119 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 4: just want to air it out since we are in 120 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 4: fact again talking about Zeppelins, and the Zeppelin name will 121 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:37,720 Speaker 4: come up a little later in this episode. 122 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 1: Yes, so the idea is still here, this amazing possibility, 123 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 1: this fascinating concept of an aircraft carrier that now can 124 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:55,920 Speaker 1: go anywhere. And when the US Navy started really working 125 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 1: on this, they said, you know, I think we can actually, 126 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 1: we can actually pull this off. And so in nineteen 127 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: twenty nine, November of nineteen twenty nine, they started building 128 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 1: first evership of its kind, a new sort of dirigible 129 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 1: at the Goodyear Zeppelin Air Doc in Akron, Ohio. 130 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 4: That's right, and in a burst of creativity, as Ben 131 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 4: would like to say, it was called the USS. 132 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 3: Akron Get it. 133 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 4: Get it because it's in the same it's an Akron 134 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 4: where they were building it. And it's really interesting because 135 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 4: they actually, you know, these government contracts, they go out 136 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 4: for bids and the winner was actually a partnership between 137 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 4: the Luftschiffbow Zeppelin Company and the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Corporation, 138 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 4: and they had a joint venture called the good Year 139 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 4: Zeppelin corporation, And as you said, Ben, they created this 140 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 4: partnership in nineteen twenty three and set to work immediately 141 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:02,200 Speaker 4: building this incredibly enormous ship. 142 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: You get some stats, I got a few stats. 143 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 4: So just as a reminder, the difference between a zeppelin 144 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 4: and a blimp is that a zeppelin has this rigid 145 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 4: skeletal structure, these steel rings, almost like a rib cage, 146 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 4: and they're divided up. They're called deep rings actually, and 147 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 4: they typically would be fifteen meters apart, but with this one, 148 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 4: because of the size, they were spaced twenty two and 149 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 4: a half meters apart. And now instead of using that 150 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 4: intensely flammable hydrogen that we talked about in the previous episode, 151 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 4: they were using the much friendlier gas than the noble gas, 152 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 4: one of the noblest of gases, helium. Right, It was 153 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 4: not flammable and fit the bill to make this thing 154 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 4: lighter than air, and it also allowed them to do 155 00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 4: things like you know, cook. They had a galley on 156 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 4: this thing because it was designed to carry quite a 157 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:58,240 Speaker 4: large crew. Oh and I think we're bearing the lead 158 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 4: here a little bit, but if I'm not mistaken, they 159 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:05,280 Speaker 4: were also designed to carry up to five of these 160 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 4: biplanes that they could deploy. 161 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:12,959 Speaker 1: Right, Ben right, Yes, the F nine C Sparrowhawk. Just 162 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 1: to give you a sense of perspective here, folks, the 163 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 1: ship itself, the Acron itself is about as long as 164 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 1: a sixty story skyscraper is tall. The crew numbered close 165 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: to one hundred, right, and they had, you know, they 166 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 1: had restrooms. I don't want to be crass, but I 167 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:35,840 Speaker 1: just want it to be clear that they're not. You know, 168 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: wizzing off the edge of the zeppelin be fun, though 169 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,680 Speaker 1: it might, you know, it'd be a weird thrill, you know, 170 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:44,960 Speaker 1: especially if you don't have to jump afterwards. That's the secret. 171 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:53,200 Speaker 1: And these biplanes, the Sparrowhawks themselves, are incredibly small. These 172 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:58,960 Speaker 1: are single seater biplanes. These were stored, as es Noel said, 173 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 1: on the Akron itself. Eight Sparrowhawks were produced to test 174 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 1: this concept. And if you look at the visual of 175 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 1: how they deployed and attached these things, it's terrifying because 176 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:20,719 Speaker 1: just as important as the diminutive size of the Sparrowhawk 177 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 1: was the creation of the trapeze system. It's almost it 178 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 1: reminds me a little bit of it was when one 179 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:32,480 Speaker 1: of the Christopher Nolan Batman's where they use sky Hook, 180 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 1: oh Man, Yeah, exactly, and I think enough times past 181 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 1: that we can talk about that, right. 182 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's not even that big a spoil. It's a 183 00:10:38,679 --> 00:10:39,440 Speaker 3: pretty cool moment though. 184 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 4: But hey, let's do a little three two one countdown 185 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:43,559 Speaker 4: to spoiler three to two to one, spoiler, get over it. 186 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:49,080 Speaker 1: In the Nolan film, Bruce Wayne also spoiler, that's Batman's 187 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 1: real identity. 188 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:50,839 Speaker 3: Oh I got. 189 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: Casey is livid. 190 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:56,360 Speaker 3: Sorry. 191 00:10:56,559 --> 00:10:59,560 Speaker 1: Sometimes when we crack these jokes, we we lean back 192 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 1: so we can stare at Casey through his super producer window. 193 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:07,080 Speaker 1: And he's a tough crowd sometimes. 194 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:07,520 Speaker 3: Yes. 195 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 1: But Skyhook in this story is a mechanism invented I 196 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:15,640 Speaker 1: think by an intelligence agency or some branch of the 197 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 1: military in the US, and it's able to scoop people 198 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 1: and things up from a flying vessel. 199 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:23,600 Speaker 3: And this is real. 200 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 4: There was a CIA program called Skyhook that was designed 201 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 4: to extract agents in the field at a moment's notice 202 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:33,840 Speaker 4: and just have them boom they It was like some 203 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:37,079 Speaker 4: kind of parachute thing where he jumped out of a window, 204 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 4: parachute opened up, there was a beacon on it, so 205 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 4: he's kind of gliding along and then the airplane scoops 206 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:44,199 Speaker 4: him up off of a hook or a ring or 207 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:46,000 Speaker 4: something on the parachute and lifts him back up into 208 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:46,480 Speaker 4: the plane. 209 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 1: And this idea of hooking something in mid air is 210 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:53,640 Speaker 1: really what the trapeze mechanism is about. But with way 211 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 1: lower tech, way lower tech, and not much it doesn't 212 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:00,800 Speaker 1: seem like there's much of a margin for error. 213 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 3: Oh my god, I mean what So they would lower 214 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 3: the plane down on this wire. Yeah, and then the 215 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 3: plane would have to start up right, and then they 216 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:10,680 Speaker 3: would release it and it would go. My question, Ben, 217 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 3: is how did they snatch them back up if the 218 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:14,760 Speaker 3: if the engine is running, can a plane just idle 219 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:17,680 Speaker 3: in place? Like? I'm no airplane scientist, but you know, Ben. 220 00:12:17,559 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 1: Right, and I don't even have my masters in zeppelins. 221 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:23,440 Speaker 3: Do you have your amateur in it though? Don't you? 222 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:25,719 Speaker 1: I have my armchair degree. There you go, so give 223 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 1: it to us. Yeah. So, when we think about the 224 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 1: way these zeppelins or airships in general operate, they have 225 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:38,959 Speaker 1: the ability to just float because of that lighter than 226 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:44,520 Speaker 1: air gas, they can you know, reduce speed and not 227 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:49,559 Speaker 1: lose altitude. So these Sparrowhawks, which were also by the 228 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: way referred to as parasite fighters m because they they 229 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 1: lived on this other ship. 230 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:58,360 Speaker 3: They did they did they clean the plankton from between 231 00:12:58,400 --> 00:12:58,960 Speaker 3: its teeth. 232 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:03,079 Speaker 1: Well, that wouldn't be parasitic. Then that would be more symbiotic. Well, 233 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:04,839 Speaker 1: I mean, I guess it's a sort of symbiosis, but 234 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:06,840 Speaker 1: it would be more beneficial. 235 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 3: That's fair. And you know zeppelins don't have teeth. It 236 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 3: was a dumb joke. We're cutting it. 237 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 1: No, let's keep it in, will keep it? It's cool, 238 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:15,959 Speaker 1: all right, cool? Then they were getting weird with it anyway, right, 239 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:17,080 Speaker 1: So teeth, why not? 240 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:17,600 Speaker 3: Why not? 241 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 1: But the had ribs, they had ribs. There we go. 242 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:26,559 Speaker 1: So the sparrowhawk flies flies beneath the zeppelin and then 243 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 1: it has to go very carefully and just hook back 244 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:35,680 Speaker 1: on and then kill the engine. And then they take 245 00:13:35,679 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 1: it back up into the into the zeppelin. 246 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:40,400 Speaker 4: And I guess it would stay balanced because of the 247 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:43,079 Speaker 4: equal weight of the wings on each side. It wouldn't 248 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:45,600 Speaker 4: just flop over, you know, once it was hooked. But 249 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:50,160 Speaker 4: wouldn't that be terrifying, Yes, yeah, it would. It would 250 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 4: be incredibly terrified. Now, of course, we know one strange 251 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:57,160 Speaker 4: thing about humanity is in general, how quickly the most 252 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:01,800 Speaker 4: bizarre and dangerous things can become normal. And were these pilots, 253 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 4: especially once you did the first historic quote unquote landings, 254 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 4: were pros. This was what they were on earth to do. 255 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 4: That's Lieutenant Daniel W. Harrigan and Lieutenant Howard L. 256 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:13,559 Speaker 1: Young. 257 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:22,360 Speaker 4: And the thing about the Akron, this is the first 258 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 4: of two of these big mothers that were built. It 259 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:30,520 Speaker 4: was never really used in combat. I think it was 260 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:33,960 Speaker 4: mainly just tested and kind of used in these trial flights, 261 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:35,080 Speaker 4: isn't that right, Ben. 262 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's absolutely right. It had its first flight on 263 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:41,840 Speaker 1: September twenty third, nineteen thirty one, and then it had 264 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 1: a month's worth of test flights. You can read all 265 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 1: about this in the USS Akron and the Rise, Fall 266 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:55,400 Speaker 1: and Rise of Airships on ohiohistoryhost dot org that comes 267 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: from the State Library of Ohio. They had extensive testing, 268 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 1: as you would because this this is the first time 269 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:04,600 Speaker 1: the US Navy has attempted anything like this, right, I 270 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 1: mean we could there are experiments that militaries have done 271 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 1: with hot air balloons, sure, and this is the age 272 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 1: of the airship. But this is the first time anybody 273 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 1: had said, let's remember exhibit on Pimp My Ride. Of course, 274 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:20,200 Speaker 1: it's like, you know, we heard you like aircraft, so 275 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:22,119 Speaker 1: we're gonna put some aircraft in your aircraft. 276 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 3: There you go, you know, and also maybe like some 277 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 3: ground effects and spinner rims. Yeah, how do you feel 278 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 3: about that kind of stuff? 279 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 1: You know what, they would look dumb on a Sparrowhawk. 280 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:35,600 Speaker 1: But if you own it and it makes you happy, 281 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:36,120 Speaker 1: you should do it. 282 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:37,000 Speaker 3: I know with those those shows. 283 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:38,960 Speaker 4: Don't those usually like take your car and do all 284 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:41,080 Speaker 4: this stuff like without your knowledge, and they present it 285 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 4: to you and you're like, cool, what if you didn't 286 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 4: like it? 287 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:46,359 Speaker 3: If it was in a front. 288 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:48,680 Speaker 1: I'm sure they have like three producers who were there 289 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: just to handle it. It does seem extravagant because sometimes 290 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:53,680 Speaker 1: it seems like they went too far and it's like, 291 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 1: hey man, remember that one time you mentioned donuts. We 292 00:15:56,800 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 1: knocked out the back half of your van and built 293 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:01,640 Speaker 1: a dunkin Donuts and this guy lives in there. 294 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 3: Now I want to see Pimp my Blimp. 295 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:09,240 Speaker 1: I would. I would watch that so often. Yes, I 296 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 1: would rewatch episodes of it. I would. 297 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:13,680 Speaker 4: I would watch the pilot, which will be the only 298 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 4: episode multiple times. 299 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, there maybe maybe they could get to six. I 300 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 1: don't know if it would make it to season two. 301 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 4: I'm not sure either, because there's only like, how many 302 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 4: blimps could there be left in the world now right? 303 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 1: The number might surprise you. 304 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:28,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, there were more than you would think, Yes. 305 00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:34,359 Speaker 1: Because we there are a few classify very high altitude 306 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:40,840 Speaker 1: blimps that are primarily for limps. It's an interesting question, nol, 307 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:45,240 Speaker 1: because if the primary difference between a blimp and a 308 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 1: zeppelin is that rigid shell, I would be more tempted 309 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 1: to err on the side of a zeppelin of some 310 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:54,280 Speaker 1: sort of some sort of structure beneath the you know, 311 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:58,000 Speaker 1: the balloon for lack of a better word, or within it. Rather, 312 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:02,320 Speaker 1: Lockheed Martin has been making something called the High Altitude Airship. 313 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:07,680 Speaker 1: It's an unmanned airship. Whoa yeah, And it floats about 314 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 1: over sixty thousand feet in the air at a quasi 315 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:14,440 Speaker 1: stationary position. 316 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:17,480 Speaker 3: And it's just checking us all out, just keeping. 317 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 1: Tabs surveillance, aircraft, telecommunications or a weather observer. Okay, cool, 318 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:25,679 Speaker 1: kind of creepy though, that is super creepy. But let's 319 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:28,160 Speaker 1: let's see, let's get back, let's get back to WW two. 320 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:29,920 Speaker 1: I do want to point out that this is kind 321 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:32,119 Speaker 1: of this episode in general, I feel like is a 322 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:35,520 Speaker 1: sort of a sequel to the sausage episode with the 323 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:38,520 Speaker 1: sausage skins being used for the Zeppelin World War One, 324 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:43,440 Speaker 1: because the Americans kind of got inspired by that use 325 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:47,239 Speaker 1: of the Zeppelins by the Germans and felt like it 326 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 1: was a potentially great strategic move, even though in that 327 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:55,440 Speaker 1: episode we talked about it wasn't the most successful program 328 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:58,879 Speaker 1: in WW one with the Germans. They didn't really have 329 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:03,720 Speaker 1: that many successful kills comparatively, they were notoriously easy to 330 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:07,440 Speaker 1: spot and slow moving and potentially easy to shoot down. 331 00:18:08,119 --> 00:18:11,199 Speaker 1: But yet the Americans thought it was a smart idea 332 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:13,720 Speaker 1: to have a fleet of our own, and we don't 333 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:16,439 Speaker 1: want to defence gap, right. That's what all this is about. 334 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 1: That's why all those crazy, crazy remote viewing experiments occurred 335 00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 1: too much later in history, decades later. But the uss Akron, 336 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:29,480 Speaker 1: it turns out, wasn't that great. It had a lot 337 00:18:29,520 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 1: of bumps in the road. It spent from what we found, 338 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 1: it spent a massive amount of time undergoing repairs as 339 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:42,960 Speaker 1: well as trial flights, and people kept saying, look, on paper, 340 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:46,280 Speaker 1: this is a great idea, this is worth trying, but 341 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:52,239 Speaker 1: we still need to test it again and again, and 342 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 1: then things began to go seriously wrong. 343 00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:57,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's true, Ben. 344 00:18:57,160 --> 00:18:59,880 Speaker 4: During the two years the uss Akron was in service, 345 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:04,639 Speaker 4: it was not the most shining example of a military 346 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 4: program success. During one of its kind of demonstration flights, 347 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 4: I guess, like a test trial flight, it traveled from 348 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 4: lake Hurst, New Jersey, to sunny Vale, California, and it 349 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 4: took a stop along the way at Camp Kearney near 350 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:26,400 Speaker 4: San Diego. And there is some pretty harrowing newsreel footage 351 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:28,680 Speaker 4: of this that made it into theaters at the time 352 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 4: of several sailors who have gotten tangled in the mooring lines, 353 00:19:35,119 --> 00:19:38,359 Speaker 4: which were these like long wires that were used to 354 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:41,560 Speaker 4: ground the ships and tether them down, you know, to 355 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:46,040 Speaker 4: park them, I guess. And they're literally attached to these wires. 356 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:48,480 Speaker 4: I don't know how this happens, but it's like a 357 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:52,439 Speaker 4: bundle of humans attached to this line being lifted up 358 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:55,480 Speaker 4: into the air against their will, and then a little, 359 00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 4: one by one, boo, they just drop off and fall to. 360 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 1: Their death at the worst possible time. 361 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:02,920 Speaker 3: It's really rough. 362 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:05,240 Speaker 4: It's only two of the soldiers felled their death. Excuse me, 363 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:06,920 Speaker 4: but you can see this footage if you just type 364 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:10,720 Speaker 4: in the USS Akron deaths if you want. 365 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 3: It's not it's nothing grizly. It's a long shot, but 366 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 3: you do see the full fall and the impact and 367 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:19,120 Speaker 3: the dust just popping up, and it's like they did 368 00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:22,120 Speaker 3: not make it. That was a seriously long fall. 369 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:29,320 Speaker 1: And despite this disaster, the Navy decided we're going to 370 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:35,960 Speaker 1: continue experimenting with the Akron and they sent it on 371 00:20:36,119 --> 00:20:40,719 Speaker 1: other flights, including patrols of Cuba the Panama Canal until 372 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:45,600 Speaker 1: that is. The airship encountered severe weather on April fourth, 373 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:46,640 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty three. 374 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 4: And this severe weather is gonna is a theme that's 375 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:52,600 Speaker 4: going to come up again. It clears clearly weather was 376 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:55,960 Speaker 4: the worst enemy of the Zeppelin. But yeah, I was 377 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 4: right off the Jersey coast and of the seventy six 378 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 4: crew members on board, only three survived when the Akron 379 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 4: crashed into the ocean. 380 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:09,399 Speaker 1: Yes, they were vulnerable to gust of wind. Wind is 381 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:14,280 Speaker 1: a huge factor in the performance of a craft like this. 382 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:19,919 Speaker 1: If they were encountering high winds when they were attempting 383 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:24,960 Speaker 1: to redock with the Akron, it would take the Sparrowhawk 384 00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:28,639 Speaker 1: pilots several tries, which to me is even more nerve racking. 385 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:33,399 Speaker 1: I think I have to go in again that there 386 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:36,720 Speaker 1: are times the charm, I hope is it. We'll see. 387 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:42,080 Speaker 1: So the Akron breaks up rapidly, it sinks into the Atlantic. 388 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:46,680 Speaker 1: There's a nearby ship, a German ship actually, that sees 389 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 1: the lights hitting the ocean, and they alter their course 390 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:56,240 Speaker 1: to investigate, and that's when they pick up three survivors. 391 00:21:56,520 --> 00:22:00,480 Speaker 1: Ultimately several other people. Well, the vast majority of people, 392 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:02,600 Speaker 1: as you said, seventy three of the seventy six do 393 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:08,120 Speaker 1: pass away. Most of the casualties, experts of magic, were 394 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,720 Speaker 1: caused by drowning and hypothermia because the crew had not 395 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:15,119 Speaker 1: been issued life jackets and there have been no time 396 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:18,800 Speaker 1: to deploy the single life raft. In many ways, Akron's 397 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:22,840 Speaker 1: loss spelled the not the operative end, but maybe the 398 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 1: beginning of the end for US experimentation with militarized airships. 399 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:31,680 Speaker 3: But they had another one we haven't mentioned, the USS Macon. Yeah, 400 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:35,520 Speaker 3: in a blast of creativity built in Macon. 401 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:39,800 Speaker 1: And also bigger than the Akron, and one of the 402 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:45,560 Speaker 1: survivors of the Akron I believe was the commander of 403 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:49,320 Speaker 1: the Macon, Lieutenant Commander Herbert Wiley. 404 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:52,399 Speaker 3: Robin's Air Force base is at the base in Macon, 405 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:53,840 Speaker 3: I believe yes. 406 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 1: So not only was the MACON much larger than the AFRON, 407 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:06,840 Speaker 1: it also had a more productive career because they realize 408 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 1: more effective ways of using this asset stay out of 409 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:14,440 Speaker 1: sight just to see and not be seen, and mainly 410 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:16,400 Speaker 1: what they did with surveillance, right exactly. 411 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:19,679 Speaker 4: But also we haven't really mentioned the whole idea of 412 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:21,359 Speaker 4: having these aircraft. You sort of did at the top 413 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:23,920 Speaker 4: of the show with having these aircraft on board, which 414 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:27,679 Speaker 4: were not long range aircraft. These were small, you know, 415 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:32,480 Speaker 4: small capacity tank planes, so you could get them within 416 00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:37,119 Speaker 4: range of enemy territory and then deploy these planes for 417 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:40,120 Speaker 4: surveillance and they could zip around and not be seen 418 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 4: as opposed to this big, giant, you know, airship just 419 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:47,200 Speaker 4: hovering in your airspace. That's going to set off some alarms, right, 420 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:49,879 Speaker 4: So that was the idea, and with the make in, 421 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:53,919 Speaker 4: they really started thinking, Okay, we're onto something here. Akron 422 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:57,080 Speaker 4: didn't work out, but we've got Macon, so we're starting 423 00:23:57,119 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 4: to see this threat in the Pacific. 424 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:06,920 Speaker 1: Right. The activity of the Japanese government in the Pacific 425 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 1: expansionist tendencies. So they noticed that Japan had been quickly 426 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:17,960 Speaker 1: building up its military and they were hoping the US, 427 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:21,080 Speaker 1: that is, to increase the distance these planes could travel 428 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:25,000 Speaker 1: on scouting missions. So now you can do a lot 429 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:29,000 Speaker 1: of the heavy lifting by you know, just putting them 430 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:31,680 Speaker 1: on the make and putting these Sparrowhawks on the MACON 431 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:36,240 Speaker 1: and then having this fly at a very high altitude 432 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: over much of the distance. And this is an interesting part. 433 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:45,160 Speaker 1: Eventually on the make and it became a standard practice 434 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:48,760 Speaker 1: for them to remove the landing gear of the Sparrowhawks 435 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:53,000 Speaker 1: and replace it with a fuel tank modification, like. 436 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:53,880 Speaker 3: Like an extender. 437 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:56,320 Speaker 4: Kind of yeah, give them a little more capacity, thirty 438 00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:57,280 Speaker 4: percent more Wow. 439 00:24:57,359 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 3: Okay, interesting because they never had to land. It got 440 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:03,240 Speaker 3: snatched out of the air hopefully or you know, crashed. 441 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:09,320 Speaker 3: We didn't see any evidence of botched no skyhook situations, 442 00:25:09,359 --> 00:25:11,560 Speaker 3: but I wouldn't be surprised if there were some. 443 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:16,560 Speaker 1: Well also, I don't know if there was a long 444 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 1: enough span a time for one to occur. 445 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,359 Speaker 4: It's true this was more or less an experiment than 446 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:26,560 Speaker 4: kind of fizzled pretty quickly, and it fizzled in the 447 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:28,159 Speaker 4: form of another tragic crash. 448 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:34,080 Speaker 1: Right on February twelfth, nineteen thirty five, the USS Macon 449 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:38,800 Speaker 1: also ran a foul of severe weather off the coast 450 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:39,760 Speaker 1: of California. 451 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:41,400 Speaker 4: Yeah, and I think at the top of the show, 452 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:43,480 Speaker 4: I may have made it sound like these were actively 453 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:46,080 Speaker 4: used during World War two, but it was really just 454 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:49,640 Speaker 4: technology that was in play leading up to World War 455 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:54,040 Speaker 4: two that could have potentially come in handy in a 456 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:56,879 Speaker 4: very interesting way that we'll talk about in just a second. 457 00:25:57,080 --> 00:26:00,280 Speaker 4: But that's right, Ben, The Macon hit that severe the 458 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:07,360 Speaker 4: kryptonite to these ships, and it sank very slowly off 459 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:12,440 Speaker 4: the California coast. And that was lucky because it saved a. 460 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:16,320 Speaker 1: Lot of lives, right, And it's incredibly fortunate that there 461 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:19,320 Speaker 1: was this slow, inevitable descent. The crew had enough time 462 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:23,160 Speaker 1: to put some life jackets on, and only two people 463 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:27,520 Speaker 1: in the crew died, one from jumping into the ocean 464 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 1: from too high a distance and another from swimming back 465 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:36,160 Speaker 1: into the galley while it was sinking to retrieve some 466 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:37,399 Speaker 1: of his stuff. He drowned. 467 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:39,520 Speaker 3: What are you doing, man, what are you thinking? 468 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:41,479 Speaker 1: Well, who knows? We don't know what he was going 469 00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:42,120 Speaker 1: to retrieve. 470 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:44,359 Speaker 3: And now we shouldn't judge. 471 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:48,840 Speaker 4: Yeah, But so there we go. That's essentially the end 472 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:51,320 Speaker 4: of the airship program. 473 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:54,280 Speaker 1: It was just too risky, right at least in terms 474 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:58,439 Speaker 1: of manned aircraft, because, as we said, the high altitude 475 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:02,919 Speaker 1: airships that at least five countries are working on building 476 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 1: now are all unmanned, as one of the big differences 477 00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:09,439 Speaker 1: between them and something like the Akron or the Macon, 478 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:12,960 Speaker 1: with which whom they share a lot of DNA. There's 479 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:16,200 Speaker 1: an interesting point you alluded to, Nol that I think 480 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 1: we should emphasize here explore a bit, which is that 481 00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:23,800 Speaker 1: for a lot of military historians, the story of war 482 00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:28,440 Speaker 1: is also a story of what iffery. Of course, so 483 00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:31,040 Speaker 1: would what would have happened if the Akron and the 484 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:33,000 Speaker 1: Macon had not crashed. 485 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:37,639 Speaker 4: Well, given what we talked about, with their ability to 486 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:40,840 Speaker 4: kind of like get close to enemy territory and then 487 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:45,160 Speaker 4: send these guys out that were much less easy to detect, 488 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:49,959 Speaker 4: there's the potential that they could have spotted an event, 489 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:55,119 Speaker 4: a very important event, in advance, and possibly headed it 490 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:55,960 Speaker 4: off at the pass. 491 00:27:56,520 --> 00:28:00,840 Speaker 1: Had the USS Macon been in service active in nineteen 492 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:04,120 Speaker 1: forty one, it may well have been able to send 493 00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:08,600 Speaker 1: warning of the Japanese fleet headed to Pearl Harbor. However, 494 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:13,960 Speaker 1: it was not active, and as a result, the course 495 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:15,080 Speaker 1: of history was set. 496 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:19,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, and you know, no other dirigibles of this kind 497 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:23,200 Speaker 3: were ever commissioned for use as aircraft carriers. 498 00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:25,520 Speaker 4: And I think it's super cool that they still exist 499 00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:29,240 Speaker 4: in some capacity, in that unmanned capacity that you mentioned, Ben, 500 00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:30,240 Speaker 4: But you. 501 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:31,800 Speaker 1: Don't think that's a little creepy. 502 00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:34,399 Speaker 4: I mean, it's no creepier than anything else, you know, then, 503 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:36,040 Speaker 4: no creepier than Facebook. 504 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:39,080 Speaker 3: Oh wow, you really took it. He really took it 505 00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:41,760 Speaker 3: to a place there. No, it's all pretty creepy, Ben. 506 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:43,960 Speaker 4: But you get to a point where you just get 507 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:47,040 Speaker 4: so comfortable with your ability to play words with friends. 508 00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:49,640 Speaker 3: That out that you can have all my data. It's fine, 509 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:50,680 Speaker 3: just take it. 510 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:54,040 Speaker 1: I want to point out that Facebook is also developing 511 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:56,080 Speaker 1: a high altitude fly and wing UAV. 512 00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:57,040 Speaker 3: Is that true? 513 00:28:57,080 --> 00:29:02,480 Speaker 1: That is true? Wow, It's a what D had. It's 514 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:06,719 Speaker 1: designed to stay aloft for like ninety days. The stated 515 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:10,640 Speaker 1: purpose is to provide Internet connectivity, so maybe. 516 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:14,479 Speaker 3: Like remote areas, maybe where maybe they don't have infrastructure. Okay, 517 00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:15,240 Speaker 3: that's cool. 518 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:19,000 Speaker 4: I'm sure there's no other underhanded secret creepy motive for it. 519 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:25,360 Speaker 1: Well, and do remember folks that, as as Coast mentioned here, 520 00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:31,080 Speaker 1: you can go see news real footage of not just 521 00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:34,960 Speaker 1: these airships nextion, but another thing as well. Yeah. 522 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:39,479 Speaker 4: Well, the more recently, a crew in twenty fifteen, actually 523 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:43,239 Speaker 4: a underwater crew, a lah like James Cameron, you know, 524 00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:47,640 Speaker 4: went and explored the wreckage of the USS make In 525 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:51,200 Speaker 4: and made some amazing like photo mosaic shots of it 526 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:53,600 Speaker 4: where you know, you take photos from all different angles 527 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:56,960 Speaker 4: and there is real video you can see where they 528 00:29:57,200 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 4: you know, you can see the galley and all of 529 00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:02,520 Speaker 4: the different space that would have been occupied in this 530 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:06,120 Speaker 4: giant airship. It's pretty cool and you can actually see 531 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:09,240 Speaker 4: it at the article on how stuff works called Ridiculous History. 532 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:12,800 Speaker 4: The US Navy used dirigibles as flying aircraft carriers by 533 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 4: Lori L. 534 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:13,520 Speaker 3: Dove. 535 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:16,600 Speaker 4: There's a link at the bottom to a YouTube clip 536 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:20,520 Speaker 4: of the feed from one of these expeditions. It's pretty 537 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:23,960 Speaker 4: cool stuff. And yeah, currently it's still there fourteen hundred 538 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:30,280 Speaker 4: feet below the surface of the ocean, and there is 539 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:34,400 Speaker 4: a concern that because of the salt water, that all 540 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:37,680 Speaker 4: of this stuff is going to eventually just degrade to nothing. 541 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:39,760 Speaker 4: So it's pretty cool that you can see it. It 542 00:30:39,840 --> 00:30:43,400 Speaker 4: was actually made a historic place by the National Register 543 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:44,680 Speaker 4: in twenty ten. 544 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:48,320 Speaker 1: So do check it out. Let us know what you think. 545 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:51,680 Speaker 1: Would you ride it in airship? I think most people 546 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:54,120 Speaker 1: would say, of course, as long as there's no one 547 00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:57,160 Speaker 1: shooting at me. If you'd like to learn more about airships, 548 00:30:57,160 --> 00:30:59,720 Speaker 1: you can check out our previous episode we mentioned earlier 549 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:01,479 Speaker 1: in the sho show. You can also check out the 550 00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:06,920 Speaker 1: Rise and Fall of airships on our peer podcast car Stuff. 551 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:12,040 Speaker 1: And speaking of Facebook, hey, guess guess what We're on it? 552 00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:15,520 Speaker 3: Boy are we ever? We're on Facebook. 553 00:31:16,080 --> 00:31:18,160 Speaker 4: You can check us out there Ridiculous History we have 554 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:21,240 Speaker 4: I am really digging the Facebook group, the Ridiculous Historian. 555 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:24,480 Speaker 4: Just some really smart people on there, having really smart, 556 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:28,040 Speaker 4: interesting conversations. We've been popping in there here and there 557 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:31,120 Speaker 4: and and having some fun and yeah, so you can 558 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:33,120 Speaker 4: check that out if you're interested in being a moderator 559 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:35,240 Speaker 4: or something and that sort of thing floats you. But 560 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:37,760 Speaker 4: let us know it ridiculous at HowStuffWorks dot Com. 561 00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:44,040 Speaker 1: As always, we'd like to thank Casey Zeppelin Pegrim what 562 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:45,240 Speaker 1: any thing is that gonna work? 563 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:46,720 Speaker 5: I'll take him CZP. 564 00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:49,760 Speaker 1: I'm into it, and I personally would like to thank 565 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:52,640 Speaker 1: lo Keith Barton for keeping airships alive and so forth. 566 00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:55,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, keep the keep the dream alive man, the X 567 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:55,600 Speaker 3: Men dream. 568 00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:58,720 Speaker 1: And of course thanks to our composer, Alex Williams. I 569 00:31:58,760 --> 00:31:59,400 Speaker 1: love that we can. 570 00:31:59,320 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 3: Say we have a Oh man, that's the best. 571 00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:04,520 Speaker 1: I'm just it feels like such a such a cool 572 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:07,080 Speaker 1: thing to drop in conversation. Anyway, I was talking to 573 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:07,680 Speaker 1: my composer. 574 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:09,520 Speaker 4: To be fair, he only wrote one song for us, 575 00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:11,680 Speaker 4: but he's not technically our composer. 576 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:13,120 Speaker 1: He composed it, he did. 577 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:13,640 Speaker 3: It's true. 578 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:16,160 Speaker 4: What if he composed just the soundtracks of our lives? 579 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:18,200 Speaker 4: We just we just had his music playing when we 580 00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:19,120 Speaker 4: walked into a room. 581 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:21,760 Speaker 1: You know, that'd be great. He has fantastic tasting me, 582 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:23,400 Speaker 1: he really does. I mean you do too. I'm not 583 00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:28,120 Speaker 1: seeing you, but uh, that's this casey of course. 584 00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:30,480 Speaker 3: And is this the big up section of the show, 585 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:32,360 Speaker 3: we pick up each other and our pals. 586 00:32:32,440 --> 00:32:35,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I like it, so I think it's 587 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:37,360 Speaker 1: I think it's a cool, regular thing to end on. 588 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:39,840 Speaker 1: But of course the biggest of ups go to you, 589 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:43,680 Speaker 1: specifically you, friends and neighbors. Thank you so much for tuning. 590 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:45,320 Speaker 4: In, and we hope you'll tune in again next time 591 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:48,000 Speaker 4: for another episode of ridiculous history. 592 00:32:48,080 --> 00:33:03,280 Speaker 5: Goodbye everyone. 593 00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:07,120 Speaker 4: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 594 00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:09,360 Speaker 4: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.