American Blimp MZ-3

The MZ-3A is an airship purchased by the US Navy. It is a SPECTOR50 (commercial model A-170) airship, manufactured by the American Blimp Corporation. Operations began 3 May 2006 with 4 pilots assigned, 2 civilian and 2 Navy. Ground support was supplied by a group of 15 Naval Reserve Officers and Enlisted Men from NAS Patuxent River, MD, and civilian contractors. Operations continued to 1 June 2007. Operations were conducted from Hangar six at NAES Lakehurst. The program may have been related to the Navy's low-altitude littoral sensor program. The airship was operated by VX-20 LTAV Detachment, Naval Air Engineering Station, Lakehurst, NJ. Used for sensor experiments at Fort Dix, flight operations are halted though the MZ-3A (aka Airship Flying Laboratory) is under pressure watch with hopes that funding will be forthcoming to resume operations in late summer or early fall of 2007. The MZ-3A is all white and carries no markings.

As of February 01, 2007 the MZ-3A has been assigned to squadron VX-20 LTAV on location in NAES Lakehurst, NJ. [ [http://spot.colorado.edu/~dziadeck/airship/announcements.htm Announcement] - Announcement]

References

* Navy Lakehurst Historical Society, "The Airship," April-May 2007, "Navy LATV Unit Honors NLHS, pg 5
* Naval Airship Association, "The Noon Balloon" Summer 2006, "After 44 Years, Lakehurst Back in Lighter-Than-Air Flight Research," posted by the Asbury Park Press, 5/9/06, by Kirt More, Toms River Bureau, pgs 8-10.

External links

* [http://www.naval-airships.org/pdf/06summertnb.pdf The Noon Balloon (Naval Airship Association)]
* [http://www.americanblimp.com/abc.htm American Blimp Company web site.]
* [http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/412015-L(addendum).html DoD designation system addendum listing MA-3Z]
* [http://www.ilcdover.com/home/news/newsDetail.cfm?id=4861240 Local press coverage of start of MZ-3A program]