WesWorld

Overview:

OOC Notes:

Dixmude-class Airship

General Characteristics:
Type: Airship
Length: 644 feet
Diameter: 78.5 feet
Gas Capacity: 1,997,360 cubic feet
Powerplant: ?
Crew: ?
Equipment: ?

Performance:
Maximum Speed: 66mph
Cruising Speed: ?
Max Ceiling: 20,000 feet
Range: ?

Ships in Class:
- Dixmude
- Méditerranée
- Henri Giffard (destroyed Q4/41)
- Joseph Montgolfier
- Etienne Montgolfier
- Albert Santos-Dumont

Notes:
The first French rigids of the 1930s were based on a strongly modernized version of the German V-class airships of the late Great War period. These airships were used primarily in the DFTE's transport routes, although they were subsidized by the Marine Nationale and could be brought into service in emergencies, should it be required.

Jacques Charles-class Airship

General Characteristics:
Type: Rigid airship
Length: 693 feet
Diameter: 78.5 feet
Gas Capacity: 2,195,800 cubic feet
Powerplant: ?
Crew: ?
Equipment: ?

Performance:
Maximum Speed: 72.7mph
Cruising Speed: ?
Max Ceiling: 21,000 feet
Range: ?

Ships in Class:
- Jacques Charles
- Charles Nungesser
- Adolphe Pegoud
- Jean Navarre

Notes:
A more modern militarized version of the previous Dixmude class, all four of these ships were acquired and operated by the Aeronavale on behalf of the Marine Nationale. Their service life in French service was short, and Jacques Charles and Charles Nungesser were both offered to the Brazilian Navy in late 1940 to kickstart the Brazilian airship program. They would be replaced by more useful metalclad types such as those used elsewhere in the world.

Image originally by CanisD and modified (colored) by Brockpaine.

Georges Guynemer-class Metalclad Airship
The Georges Guynemer was purchased from Chile in 1941 to replace the Jacques Charles and provide experience with metalclad airships.

General Characteristics:
Type: Metalclad airship
Length: 624.5 feet
Diameter: 85 feet
Gas Capacity: 2,535,975 cubic feet
Powerplant: 4 × 1,250 hp Accrisius radial engines
Crew: 11 officers, 38 men
Airplanes: 3 ZTS aircraft
Equipment: 1 RTD set, communication facilities

Performance:
Maximum Speed: 80 mph (69.5 knots)
Cruising Speed: 57 mph (50 knots)
Range: 168 hours at 50 knots (8,400 nm)

Ships in Class:
- Georges Guynemer (ex-Aquiles)

Champagne-class Metalclad Airship
The Champagne class metalclads were some of the smallest rigid airships ever put into service. The three airships were designed to serve as wide-area antisubmarine escorts for convoys. The airships were among the last airships produced in France; three more were acquired by the Chilean Navy. They were equipped with a variety of equipment for detecting submarines, even when submerged.

General Characteristics:
Type: Metalclad airship
Length: 130 meters (426.2 feet)
Beam: 25 meters (82 feet)
Height:: 29.3 meters (96 feet)
Gas Capacity: 1,713,000 cubic feet
Powerplant: 4 × Clerget 14F 14-cylinder radial engines
Crew: 3 officers, 24 men
Equipment: 1x SDA-5A teledetection set, radio direction-finding gear, magnetic anomaly detector, Mark Ia reeled Sonar, paradropped hydroacoustic floats.
Armament: Depth Charges

Performance:
Maximum Speed: 79 mph (68.6 knots)
Economic Cruising Speed: 57 mph (50 knots)
Range: 168 hours at 50 knots (8,400 nm)

Ships in Class:
- Champagne (1942)
- Bourgogne (1942)
- Aquitaine (1943)