ZS2G-1 ASW Operations

This Goodyear Aircraft film, GEFP 179 of 1958, shows the state of the art of LTA ASW in the US Navy that just two years after would be lost for generations. This airship, the last of the single crew ships is sometimes called the “5K,“ though it had little in common with the more numerous K-types. While three films were made with the K-ships and their modifications after WWII, this film is the most thorough examination of the art of airship ASW ever made. While this telecine is slightly off-frame, details of the ZS2G-1 are clearly seen; in fact, some of the avionics suite – JULIE and other gear – might actually have been classified at this time. The film shows most every aspect of how the airship was to conduct extended ASW ops at sea – returning to fleet vessels only to refuel, re-arm and even re-man, using the two-man basket perfected with the “4K” in “Project YGAR.” The larger ZPG-2 was of course capable of longer patrols without surface support, but this smaller ship actually had a superior winch for sonar towing (it is seen, with the cable’s noise-reduction fairing entering the water). Modern ASW artisans could take a lesson from what is seen here. (Also what is not seen, since for all its promise, the ZS2G-1 had about the worst accident record per flight hour, or per units produced, in the entire LTA ASW inventory.) Too bad no such film was made with the ZPG strutting its stuff!