Virtual Museum

Dr. and Mrs. A. Dale Topping Lighter-Than-Air Virtual Museum

This Museum is made possible through the generosity of Mrs. A. Dale Topping
Click here to view a biography of Dr. Topping.
The USS Shenandoah (1923-1925) was the first of the rigid airships that the US Navy flew.
The USS Akron (1931-1933) was the first rigid airship built in the Akron Airdock.
Balloons that are filled with a lighter-than gas such as hydrogen or helium.
The Daniel Guggenheim Airship Institute formed part of the Engineering School of the University of Akron. It was formed in 1929 under an agreement between the Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics, the University of Akron and the California Institute of Technology. The Institute was built on the grounds of the Akron Municipal Airport, near the Airdock and was dedicated on June 26, 1932. The Institute was formally closed on July 1, 1949, as the use of airships diminished.
Helium-inflated balloons used in parades, the best known one being the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.
A selection of vintage snapshots showing the construction through christening and first flights of the USS Macon. Click half way down on the right side of the frame to page through the album.