| The terms airships and blimps are often used | | | | Now the blimps are produced using the latest |
| interchangeably. However, there is a lot of difference | | | | technology with computer-aided designs, which |
| between these two terms. Actually, airships are | | | | differentiate the blimps of today as compared to |
| divided into three types: | | | | those blimps that were available 50 years ago. The |
| - Rigid airships | | | | envelope of a non-rigid airship includes the helium |
| - Semi rigid airships | | | | inside it, which is also a good fire extinguisher. Here |
| - Non rigid airships | | | | one important thing to understand is that the |
| Whereas, technically blimps are the type of non-rigid | | | | pressure of helium gas inside an envelope is very low |
| airships. The most renowned company in this field is | | | | (approximately 1/15 psi). This low pressure of helium |
| "Good Year Company" researched on this topic. Their | | | | gas is also beneficial for a non-rigid airship because in |
| research shows that the term blimp was first used in | | | | case of any hole in the blimp, it will take hours and |
| 1915 A.D by a commanding officer named as | | | | even days to affect the performance due to |
| Cunningham. He used this term while inspecting SS-12 | | | | emergence of helium gas from the blimp. |
| airship. While inspecting he used his finger for flicking | | | | Helium gas not only provides lift for a blimps but it |
| against the airship and copied the sound as blimps. | | | | also helps in changing the direction of a blimp. In most |
| Later on, this term was popularized among people | | | | of the modern blimps of today, multiple ballonets are |
| and they started using it as synonymous to airships. | | | | installed (some also have only one ballonet). Ballonet is |
| Blimps belong to the family of lighter aircraft with no | | | | a simple type of bag containing air in it for the use in |
| specific structure of its envelope; rather they use | | | | the blimp. Also, these ballonets are also used to |
| helium and air for lifting purpose. Most of the blimps | | | | maintain the pressure in a constant way to increase |
| use only helium instead of wing for their lifting. Some | | | | the efficiency of a blimp. Another advantage of the |
| people are often amazed that helium is a less power | | | | modern non-rigid airship or blimps is that unlike |
| gas and how it can flew a gigantic airship. The | | | | airplanes, you can stay aloft as stationary without |
| answer is because the helium is a gas which contains | | | | any problem. More ever, they don't need high level of |
| the lifting capacity of 1.02 kg/m3 and it ranges from | | | | energy for their flight and only a small power is |
| 1900 m3 (67,000 ft3) to 4800 m3 (169,000 ft3) | | | | enough for it. Due to these reasons, they are more |
| which ultimately results in very useful payload. | | | | environments friendly and cost effective as |
| As time passed, improvements were made in the | | | | compared to the modern airplanes. |
| blimps to make them more effective and efficient. | | | | |