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Types Of Airships There are three main types of airships: 1. Nonrigid Airships 2. Rigid Airships 3. Semirigid Airships Nonrigid airships were the first airships and some are still flown today. They don't have any major internal structures and don't have framework for the outer skin. The gas pressure causes this skin ( called the envelope ) to keep it's shape. Modern day envelopes are made out of synthetic fabrics. The smallest airships have been the nonrigid types. Some have …

…were made from materials such as weatherproof cotton to aluminium alloy. Semirigid airships became pretty common in the 1900's. Often they resembled nonrigid ships, except that a support ran along most of the length of the envelope to help it maintain it's shape and distribute loads. Semirigid airships were often larger than nonrigid craft, but they faded out of use in during the 1920's because of the increased capabilities of both nonrigid and rigid models.