Posted on 07/28/2011 11:22:21 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The U.S. Army launched its new $150 million High Altitude Long Endurance airship in Akron Wednesday only to watch it come down in some Pennsylvania woods just hours later.
According to Akron's Fox 8, the solar powered blimp went down in Greene County, about 50 miles south of Pittsburgh.
Intended to provide satellite type communications and surveillance above the Jet Stream, the ship hit 32,000 feet when an "anomaly" forced operators to abort the flight.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
SOURCE: http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-news-akron-ohio-blimp-crash,0,809662.story
Through a public relations company, Lockheed Martin issued the following statement:
“The U.S. Army and Lockheed Martin had a successful launch of the HALE-D aircraft from Akron, Ohio at 5:47 a.m. The aircraft ascended as planned up to 32,000 feet along the prepared flight profile. However, an anomaly prevented our ability to ascend to the target 60,000 feet. A decision was made to end the flight and make a controlled descent into a non-populated area in southwestern Pennsylvania at 8:26 a.m.”
How does an airship crash? I thought they floated.
RE: How does an airship crash? I thought they floated.
It went down, it didn’t crash.
Did it crash or just have to land in Pennsylvania?
The Goodyear blimp is loaded to be slightly heavier than air with the engines keeping it aloft. If the engines break it will gradually come down. Maybe this was the same and it lost engine power.
I read about the Polish terrorists who hi-jacked a blimp outside of New York City and have so far rammed 25 high rise buildings!
They worked better during the Civil War.
It’s either George Bush’s fault or global warming or obesity.
Take your pick.
The picture shows it laying in the woods like a burst balloon. That is a crash to me.
Let me guess. The congressman from Akron has high seniority on the ways and means committee.
Where are the photos?
WE HAD A GLORIOUS LAUNCH OF OUR MAGNIFICENT NEW SHIP!! ship.
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oh, and it crashed.
Someone should photoshop on that picture, “Obama’s Presidency” or “U.S. Economy After Obama Presidency”
IMHO, The Army has way.... too much money.
$150M for a balloon?!
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