Airship

An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Airships gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air.

In most dirigibles, the lifting gas used is hydrogen, due to its high lifting capacity and ready availability. Helium gas is also sometimes used and is not flammable, unlike hydrogen, but is rare and relatively expensive.

The envelope of an airship may form the gasbag, or it may contain a number of gas-filled cells. An airship also has engines, crew, and optionally also payload accommodation, typically housed in one or more gondolas suspended below the envelope.

Airships were the first aircraft capable of controlled powered flight, and were commonly used during the Copper War as bombers to conduct raids on stationary targets, such as cities or military installations. Their low speed and maneuverability made airships less than ideal for frontline assault, and aeroplanes, though more primitive in technology, were generally favored.

Airships are also used for commercial and sometimes personal purposes, their size being well suited for transporting passengers and cargo across long distances.