13 Comments
Oct 10Liked by Tara Ross

Thank you Tara. I don't believe that I knew of the Shenandoah before and, I was a Navy man.

Airships seem to be obsolete now but valuable at the time. May God bless the lost crew of the Shenandoah and may God continue to bless all who have served or currently serve this great nation.

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Oct 10Liked by Tara Ross

It is obvious that when you work at the edge of present technology, no matter the year, mistakes can be made--some of them disastrous. We as humans live with the dream of bettering life for ourselves and those around us, some pushing the limits of endurance, others living "quiet lives of desperation." Live today as if it's your last (it just might be) and make it memorable.

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I have visited the crash site which is actually three locations all marked, the aircraft broke up during its descent and its movement along the ground afterwards.

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Oct 10Liked by Tara Ross

🇺🇸 A testament to the courage and skill of the people who serve our country. 🇺🇲

Thanks, TR, for another story I'd not heard before...

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Oct 10Liked by Tara Ross

Great post. I didn't know of the Shenandoah. Pushing the envelope is always risky. I Salute those men willing to do so. Thanks Tara.

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Oct 10Liked by Tara Ross

A sad ending for the Shenandoah but wisely lessons were learned. It is true, ever since the Wright Brothers took to flight, advancements have been made through trials and errors, some not as successful but lessons were learned. The sad epilogue here is that many did not survive. I think the biggest lesson learned was not to fly if Mother Nature is saying NO!, regardless of what the schedule may be.

❤️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

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Oct 10Liked by Tara Ross

I didn't know about this! Wow....

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How big was the Shenandoah compared to the Hindenberg?

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Hindenberg:

Length: 245 m / 803.8 feet

Diameter: 41.2 m / 135.1 feet

Gas capacity: 200,000 cubic meters / 7,062,000 cubic feet

Lift: 511,500 lbs

Cruising Speed: 125 km/h (76 mph)

Maximum Speed: 135 km/h (84 mph)

Shenandoah:

Tonnage

77,500 lb (35,200 kg)

Length

680 ft (207.26 m)

Beam

78 ft 9 in (24.00 m) (maximum diameter)

Height

93 ft 2 in (28.4 m)

Propulsion

Six (later five) 300 hp (220 kW) eight-cylinder Packard gasoline engines

Speed

60 kn (69 mph; 110 km/h)

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Thank you, Tara.

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I had forgotten all about the USS Shenandoah,. I first learned of her in Navy boot camp when they briefly discussed Naval Aviation history. I went on to proudly serve on four US carriers and retired, after 27 years, from the US Navy Reserve.

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Thanks Tara. We tend to forget how much progress in lighter-than-air technology was made here, particularly in the use of safe helium.

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I have never heard of the Shenandoah. Out of tragedy lessons are learned and improvements are made. It’s sad that lives for lost in the process. We owe American pioneers a lot.

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