Airships or Dirigibles?

fireflybob · 8th Aug 2006, 19:31

Can anyone tell me why the early airships were called "Dirigibles" ?

Mark 1 · 8th Aug 2006, 20:21

AFAIK it was just to distinguish "steerable" airships from free balloons.
The term means capable of being directed or guided.

BOAC · 8th Aug 2006, 21:22

Courtesy of Wiki

Quote:

In many countries, airships are also known as dirigibles from the French dirigeable, meaning "steerable." The first airships were called dirigible balloons. Over time, the word balloon was dropped from the phrase.

chevvron · 9th Aug 2006, 17:49

Allright, why were other early airships called 'blimps'?
(I thought the term 'dirigible' referred to non-rigid airships ie those where the shape of the envelope was derived by the gas pressure inside, rather than a framework of girders like R100/Hindenburgh, or have I got it the wrong way round?)

Chesty Morgan · 9th Aug 2006, 18:07

That's pretty much it.

AFAIK they were originally designated:

A - Rigid - with frame work
B - Limp - without

Farmer 1 · 9th Aug 2006, 18:37

Chevvron,

Partly right, I think. The early airships were either dirigible or nondirigible, i.e. steerable or non-steerable. Nothing to do with rigidity.

I don't know when the term Blimp came into use, but I believe it was a later invention.

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