Akron belonged to a sequence of American experiments. British-built ZR-2 was lost on a test flight before delivery, Shenandoah became ZR-1, and the German-built Los Angeles served as ZR-3. Helium scarcity meant the Navy could not operate Shenandoah and Los Angeles at the same time. Removed gas valves conserved the costly lifting gas aboard Shenandoah, but the reduced venting capacity allowed cells to burst when a storm carried the ship above its pressure altitude. The sequence exposed the construction, handling, and safety problems that Akron's generation inherited.
Chapter · 33:40-36:51
The experimental airships that led to Akron
Shenandoah, ZR-2, and Los Angeles gave the US Navy a costly but cumulative body of experience in rigid-airship construction and operation.