A rigid airship did not rely on forward speed to generate lift in the way a fixed-wing aircraft did. Akron's helium supplied buoyancy, so the ship could be at zero knots without suffering a conventional aerodynamic stall. Wind could still carry the enormous hull like a sail, and purposeful maneuvering required enough control authority. The distinction explains how an airship could remain aloft at very low speed yet become difficult to manage in adverse weather.
Notable Point · 1:22:54-1:25:45
Why Akron had no conventional stall speed
Helium buoyancy kept Akron aloft without forward airspeed, although wind drift and the need for control authority still constrained the airship.