Editing USS Akron (section)

{{Short description|U.S. Navy airship destroyed in 1933}}
{{For|the 1911 airship also constructed by Goodyear|Akron (1911 airship)}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:USS ''Akron''}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox aircraft
|name                 = USS ''Akron'' (ZRS-4)
|image                = File:ZRS-4 landing h42156.jpg
|alt                  = USS Akron (ZRS-4)
|caption              = <small>''Akron'' approaching the mooring mast at [[Moffett Federal Airfield|NAS Sunnyvale]]</small>
|type                 = <!--Type of aircraft-->
|other_names          = <!--Other names (nicknames, nose art names) this aircraft is known by-->
|manufacturer         = [[Goodyear Aerospace|Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation]], [[Akron, Ohio]]
|construction_number  = <!-- manufacturer's construction number -->
|construction_date    = 31 October 1929 (commenced)<br />8 August 1931 (launched)
|civil_registration   = <!-- any civil registrations carried by this aircraft -->
|military_serial      = ZRS-4
|radio_code           = <!-- military radio codes where this is a commonly-used way of identifying this aircraft (eg. US, British, and German military aircraft of WWII -->
|owners               = United States Navy
|in_service           = 27 October 1931 (commissioned)
|first_flight         = 23 September 1931
|last_flight          = 4 April 1933
|flights              = 73
|total_hours          = 1695.8
|total_distance       = <!-- total distance flown by this aircraft, usually only relevant for an aircraft no longer flying -->
|status               = <!-- status for an aircraft still in service -->
|aircraft_carried     = 5 × Curtiss F9C 'Sparrowhawk',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airships.net/us-navy-rigid-airships/uss-akron-macon/|title=U.S. Navy Airships U.S.S. Akron (ZRS-4) and U.S.S. Macon (ZRS-5)|website=airships.net}}</ref> Consolidated N2Y-1, Waco XJW-1
|fate                 = Crashed off coast of [[New Jersey]], 4 April 1933
|preservation         = <!-- where this aircraft is currently preserved (if it is) -->
}}

'''USS ''Akron'' (ZRS-4)''' was a [[helium]]-filled rigid [[airship]] of the [[U.S. Navy]], the [[lead ship]] of [[Akron-class airship|her class]], which operated between September 1931 and April 1933. She was the world's first purpose-built [[airborne aircraft carrier|flying aircraft carrier]], carrying [[Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk|F9C Sparrowhawk]] [[fighter plane]]s, which could be launched and recovered while in flight. With an overall length of {{convert|785|ft|m|abbr=on}}, ''Akron'' and her [[sister ship]] {{USS|Macon|ZRS-5|2}} were among the largest flying objects ever built. Although [[LZ 129 Hindenburg|LZ 129 ''Hindenburg'']] and LZ 130 ''[[Graf Zeppelin II]]'' were some {{convert|18|ft|m|abbr=on}} longer and slightly more voluminous, the two German airships were filled with [[hydrogen]], so the two US Navy craft still hold the world record for the largest helium-filled airships.<ref name="Smith (1965)">{{cite book|last1=Smith|first1=Richard K|title=The Airships Akron & Macon: Flying Aircraft Carriers of the United States Navy|date=1965|publisher=United States Naval Institute|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=0-87021-065-3|page=210}}</ref>

''Akron'' was destroyed in a [[thunderstorm]] off the coast of [[New Jersey]] on the morning of 4 April 1933, killing 73 of the 76 crewmen and passengers. The accident involved the greatest loss of life in any airship crash, and was indeed the deadliest aviation disaster of any kind prior to [[World War II]].