[amsat-bb] Largest cross-yagi ever?

[Mvivona]

Is this the blimp less the yagi?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Blimp_MZ-3#/media/File%3AHandlers_prepare_to_launch_the_U.S._Navy_MZ-3A_manned_airship_for_an_orientation_flight_from_Naval_Air_Station_Patuxent_River%2C_Md.%2C_on_Nov._6%2C_2013_131106-N-PO203-532.jpg


Michael Vivona
Sent from my iPad

On Jun 14, 2016, at 6:35 PM, Scott <scott23192 at gmail.com> wrote:

So today I’m driving through rural Virginia near my home and as I come around a corner, the sky is FULL of a very low-flying white blimp.  In years past the Goodyear blimp as well as the one from Met-Life have flown over, so while it was neat to see a blimp, it wasn’t the first time.

Anyway, I pulled over to take a closer look because this one was different.  You could clearly see U.S. Navy markings but what really stuck out was that on top of the blimp, running its full length, was what appeared to be a cross-yagi antenna approximately equal to the inflated size of the blimp itself.  This thing was HUGE!

Obviously it could have been anything, but it sure looked like an antenna to me.  My iPhone would not have taken a picture with enough zoom to show any detail, but I got a good look through binoculars.

By chance has anyone seen this type of structure on a blimp or have any insight on its use?  If you can imagine the inflated diameter of a full-size blimp, that was the length of the radials.  As for length, as I mentioned it ran the full length of the spine of the blimp itself.  Quite a site!

-Scott,  K4KDR
Montpelier, VA  USA
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