Signal Corps Dirigible No. 1
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{short description|Airship}}
{{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=Signal Corps Dirigible No. 1 | image=Signal Corps Dirigible No 1 afmil-01.jpg | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Dirigible | national origin=United States | manufacturer= | designer=Thomas Scott Baldwin | first flight= | introduced= | retired= | status= | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built=1 | program cost= | unit cost=$5,737.50 in 1908 | developed from= | variants with their own articles= }} |
File:Le dirigeable baldwin n009w3396 0 6m311q593.tiff
Signal Corps Dirigible No. 1 was the first powered aircraft ordered for the Signal Corps by the Aeronautical Division of the United States Army. The purchase of SC-1, a dirigible designed by Thomas Scott Baldwin, was the result of urgings by Chief Signal Officer Brigadier General James Allen. After seeing Baldwin demonstrate a dirigible at the St. Louis air meet in 1907, Allen had urged the U.S. Army to buy a dirigible, as many European armies had dirigibles by the turn of the century.{{cite web|title=Baldwin Dirigible: U.S. Army's First Airship|author=NMUSAF|publisher=National Museum of the United States Air Force|date=22 May 2010|url=http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=665|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714182816/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=665|archivedate=14 July 2014}}
On 5 August 1908, the Army tested SC-1 at Fort Myer, Virginia. The craft fell short of a two-hour, 20 mph objective to meet a $8,000 per unit award. The Army formally accepted the craft as Signal Corps Dirigible No. 1, paying $5,737.50.{{Cite journal |last=Crouch |first=Tom D. |date=2010 |title=The Aero Club of Washington: Aviation in the Nation's Capital, 1909–1914 |journal=Washington History |volume=22 |page=39 |jstor=41000588}} On 28 August 1908 Lieutenants Frank Lahm, Michael "CC" Finney, Thomas Selfridge, and Benjamin Foulois were taught to fly the craft.
After Second Lieutenant John G Winter Jr of the 6th Cavalry was assigned to duty in the Aeronautical Division, the balloon detachment was transferred to Fort Omaha, Nebraska.{{Citation | title = Army News: Dirigible No 1 | newspaper=Aeronautics; Volume 5, Number 1 | page = 10 | date = July 1909}}
On 26 May, pilot Lieutenant Lahm and Lieutenant Foulois made a flight in SC-1 at Fort Omaha, and maneuvered the craft at will. SC-1 remained there until scrapped in 1912. The Army did not purchase another dirigible until after World War I.
Specifications (Signal Corps Dirigible No. 1)
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Smithsonian
|prime units?=kts
|genhide=
|crew=
|capacity=1
|length m=
|length ft=93
|length in=
|length note=
|span m=
|span ft=
|span in=
|span note=
|upper span m=
|upper span ft=
|upper span in=
|upper span note=
|mid span m=
|mid span ft=
|mid span in=
|mid span note=
|lower span m=
|lower span ft=
|lower span in=
|lower span note=
|swept m=
|swept ft=
|swept in=
|swept note=
|dia m=
|dia ft=
|dia in=
|dia note=
|width m=
|width ft=
|width in=
|width note=
|height m=
|height ft=
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=
|wing area note=
|swept area sqm=
|swept area sqft=
|swept area note=
|volume m3=
|volume ft3=20000
|volume note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|lift kg=
|lift lb=1,360
|lift note=
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Curtiss
|eng1 type=
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=20
|eng1 kn=
|eng1 lbf=
|eng1 note=
|power original=
|thrust original=
|eng1 kn-ab=
|eng1 lbf-ab=
|eng2 number=
|eng2 name=
|eng2 type=
|eng2 kw=
|eng2 hp=
|eng2 kn=
|eng2 lbf=
|eng2 note=
|eng2 kn-ab=
|eng2 lbf-ab=
|eng3 number=
|eng3 name=
|eng3 type=
|eng3 kw=
|eng3 hp=
|eng3 kn=
|eng3 lbf=
|eng3 note=
|eng3 kn-ab=
|eng3 lbf-ab=
|more power=
|prop blade number=
|prop name=
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop note=
|rot number=
|rot dia m=
|rot dia ft=
|rot dia in=
|rot area sqm=
|rot area sqft=
|rot area note=
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=19.61
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|max speed mach=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=13.75
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed kmh=
|minimum control speed mph=
|minimum control speed kts=
|minimum control speed note=
|range km=
|range miles=
|range nmi=
|range note=
|combat range km=
|combat range miles=
|combat range nmi=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range nmi=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=
|ceiling note=
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|glide ratio=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|sink rate ms=
|sink rate ftmin=
|sink rate note=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|disk loading kg/m2=
|disk loading lb/sqft=
|disk loading note=
|power/mass=
|thrust/weight=
|more performance=
|armament=
|guns=
|bombs=
|rockets=
|missiles=
|hardpoints=
|hardpoint capacity=
|hardpoint rockets=
|hardpoint missiles=
|hardpoint bombs=
|hardpoint other=
|other armament=
|avionics=
}}