Sunday, July 13, 2008

Soviet Airship

Dirigible by Vassily Kuptsov (oil on canvas, 1933)
Interesting style - very much alike second-generation Italian Futurism of the same period.
Dirigible depicted is ill-fated CCCP B-5 (USSR V5). Built in 1933, it was dismantled in 1934 - its 'envelope' was leaking and generally unreliable. While a new 'envelope' development has been in progress, a lightning struck hangar near Moscow where parts of the dirigible were stored. Everything went down to ashes, not only cases with B-5 parts, but its sistership B-4 (also dismantled) and a brand-new B-7 as well.
All of these airships were half-rigid, thus not falling into a 'Zeppelin' cathegory.
See more of B-5 here
Originally posted by me @ Dieselpunk LJ

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