Goodyear unveils its latest ad blimp

The Goodyear blimp as it has been known will give way to a newer model, which, according to the company would be bigger, faster, and more manoeuvreable than an earlier one that was retired last month after 14 years of service.

The company which had been working on the redesign for a year with German firm Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik, showed off the new version yesterday at its Wingfoot Lake hangar in Suffield, Ohio.

The new design uses three engines instead of two, and thanks to fly-by-wire flight controls the airship handles like a helicopter. The end result – a blimp 50 feet longer, with a carrying capacity of a dozen people (as against seven), and capable of hitting speeds of 73 miles per hour (up from 54), according to CNET.

The new design also makes use of internal structures, and therefore could not be classified as a blimp, but rather a semi-rigid airship, according to The Plain Dealer.

Goodyear said it still had to do a number of test flights before the new blimps went into service, where they would continue to be used for covering sporting events and would also double up as a marketing tool for the 116-year-old tire-maker.

The new airship was built at Goodyear's Wingfoot Lake facility near Akron, Ohio. A zeppelin, though is not a blimp, which lacks internal structure or adjustable rotors. However, for marketing purposes, Goodyear has decided to call its airships blimps.

At 246 feet, the new airship is over 50 feet longer than the company's previous generation airships, known as the GZ-20 and despite getting an all-new paint job, the blimp would continue to fly the tire maker's characteristic blue-and-yellow colours over a silver envelope.

The airship also comes with state-of-the-art avionics and flight control systems rather than   manual flight systems. Goodyear blimps have used since 1925.

Goodyear said that it would be allowed to cover more events than its blimps had in the past.

Even with everything in place, what the new airship needs is a name, for which the company needs help. Helpful folk in the US over 18 years of age are welcome to make suggestions, and possibly see the name they suggest carried across America.