6/2/37, Pilot L A LAWSON Signed, US Army Airship TC-13 "HER LAST FLIGHT" J HULFF

Jun 2, 1937 Moffett Field CA Cds

The TC-13 was
America's Largest Non-Rigid Dirigible.

Pilot
L.A. LAWSON Signed Cover!

Addressed to:
Julius W. Hulff
Glendale, California
(It's his cachet design)

An Attractive Philatelic Cover!
  Pilot Capt L. A. Lawson
The U.S. Army received the Goodyear TC-13 in 1933. At the time, it was the world’s largest non-rigid airship. The TC-13 and TC-14 used five-fin tail surfaces instead of the traditional four. By 1934, the modified Army TE-13 airship had an eight-fin tail array.

The majority of the airships operated by the US Army during the 1920s and '30s were of the "TC" Class, designed for coastal patrol duty, because the US Army had long held the primary responsibility for coastal and harbor defense of the US. The airship was seen as capable of searching for hostile ships and tracking those ships until they could be engaged by coastal defenses or Army bombers. One TC class blimp, the C-41, was often used for various public relation experiments in the 1930s, including landing on the Washington D.C. mall to lay a wreath at the Lincoln Memorial and experimented with picking up mail from a moving train.

Amongst the most interesting U.S. Army Airship Service experiments was to pursue the ability to operate airplanes from airships. While both the Germans and British had experimented with releasing fighters from rigid airships, it was the US Army that first flew an airplane from the ground and 'hooked' on to a trapeze suspended from an airship. Many tests involving a Sperry Messenger airplane and TC-3, a TC class blimp, were made in the mid-1920s. Eventually, the technology was assumed by the US Navy on the "flying aircraft carriers", USS Akron (ZRS-4) and USS Macon (ZRS-5).

The US Army continued to show interest in the acquisition and operation of rigid airships well into the 1930s. The Army Airship Service developed new designs, and operated a number of blimps, primarily from Scott Field and Langley Field through the early 1930s when competition for funding from the rapidly growing Air Corps started its decline. In 1932, the Army contracted for two blimps significantly more capable than any in service, these were the TC-13 and TC-14. When Army Airship operations were terminated in 1937, a number of Army blimps were transferred to the US Navy, but only two, the TC-13 and 14 were ever operated by the Navy.

Previous Dealer Price: $150.00

Hi! I just purchased hundreds of great dirigible covers and ephemera! USS Akron, Macon, Goodyear, Shenandoah, Graf Zeppelin, Defender, Puritan and more! Be on the lookout as many have autographs of Eckener, Dresel, Rosendahl, Crew Members, Survivors, Pilots, Captains & More! Some are unique! In addition to that, there are many original photos, postcards & even 2 pieces of fabric from the USS Akron!

This item is in Very Fine Condition. <-- Condition Issues If Any. If there are wrinkles, waves, tears or missing pieces, I'll mention them. Please view the scans to form your own opinion on condition. Additional information upon request. Just message me! Thanks for looking, and thanks in advance for your bids or purchase!