National Air and Space Museum Archives

United States Navy YEZ-2A Airship Program Collection

Summary

Collection ID:
NASM.2018.0048
Dates:
1980-1999
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
10.67 Cubic feet
12 containers
Repository:
This collection consists of material relating to the United States Navy YEZ-2A Airship Program.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection consists of 10 cubic feet of manuals, reports, and drawings relating to the YEZ-2A Airship Program.

Arrangement

Arrangement
...

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
In February 1985, the US Navy issued a proposal request for a radar-carrying Battle Surveillance Airship System (BSAS), and in 1987 awarded the $168.9 million contract to Westinghouse Electric and Airship Industries (AI). The contract was for an airship that could be used as an airborne platform to detect the threat of sea-skimming missiles. The Westinghouse/Airship Industries Sentinel 5000 (redesignated YEZ-2A by the US Navy) was a prototype design that would have been the largest blimp ever constructed. With a crew of 10-15 accommodated in a triple-decked, partly pressurized gondola, the ship was to have been powered by two CRM Diesel engines with a supplementary General electric T700 turboprop. It would have had a 2-3 day endurance without fuel, with up to 30 days through refueling and replenishment from surface ships. Equipped with powerful radar, and nearly invisible to enemy radar due to its nonmetal substances, it was to be a formidable sentry for the Navy. AI contemplated a civil version of the 5000, which would accommodate between 140/300 passengers for luxury shuttle services and conventional scheduled flights. However the project was dependent on the success of the military program. The airship prototype did not fly until June 1991, at which time AI had collapsed and Westinghouse had taken full control of the program. Additional funding was canceled in 1995 and the development of the YEZ-2A program was discontinued.

Administration

Author
Patti Williams
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Ron Hochstetter, Gift, 2018, NASM.2018.0048
Processing Information
Arranged, described, and encoded by [Archivist's name], YEAR.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Preferred Citation
United States Navy YEZ-2A Airship Program Collection, NASM.2018.0048, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Aeronautics Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Airships Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
YEZ-2A Airship Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Technical manuals -- Electrical equipment Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Technical drawings -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Technical reports Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States. Navy Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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