Airship

flying · lighter-than-air · history · engineering

Filled with lifting gas. Airships stay up in the air because they're filled with a gas that weighs less than the air around them, like helium or hydrogen. This makes them float upward, just like how a balloon floats at a birthday party.

Powered flight machines. Unlike regular balloons that drift with the wind, airships have engines and propellers so pilots can steer them wherever they want to go. They can move forward, backward, and side to side under their own power.

Also called dirigibles. The word dirigible means 'able to be directed,' which is exactly what these aircraft do. Airship and dirigible are both names for the same thing, a balloon that can navigate through the air.

Made of tough materials. Airships have a metal framework or gas-tight envelope wrapped around them, plus cabins underneath where people ride. The outer covering is made from strong, lightweight materials that can withstand wind and weather.