__NOTOC__ The SCDA O-1 was an Italian

semi-rigid airship A semi-rigid airship is an airship which has a stiff keel or truss supporting the main envelope along its length. The keel may be partially flexible or articulated and may be located inside or outside the main envelope. The outer shape of the ai ...

, the only true semi-rigid airship to serve with the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

Operational service

The O-1 was ordered from Stabilimento Costruzioni Dirigibili ed Aerostati (SCDA) by the United States Navy. Its first flight was made at

Ciampino Ciampino () is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Lazio, Italy. It was a ''frazione'' of Marino, Italy, Marino until 1974, when it became a ''comune''; it obtained the city () status (being therefore officially known as Cit ...

, Italy, on March 27, 1919. Following tests, it was sent from

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

, Italy, leaving on May 24, 1919. It was sent to

Akron Akron () is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 190,469 at the 2020 census. The Akron metropolitan area, covering Summit and Portage counties, had ...

for study and was then erected at the airship base at

Cape May, New Jersey Cape May (sometimes Cape May City) is a City (New Jersey), city and seaside resort located at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, Cape May County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located on the Atlantic Ocean ...

. The O-1 first flew in the USA on September 16, 1919. While operating from Cape May, the O-1 lost all power on a landing approach and was blown to near

Pennsville, New Jersey Pennsville Township is a township in Salem County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is named for William Penn. It is the westernmost town in New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 12,684, a ...

where the crew managed to land it. The O-1 was eventually returned to service and while on temporary duty at Hampton Roads the O-1 was used to launch gliders designed to be anti-aircraft targets. The date the O-1 was scrapped is not known, but was probably in the winter of 1921–22.

Operators

; *

Specifications O-1

* Crew: 3 * Volume: 127,000 cu ft * Length: 177.8 ft) * Diameter: 35.4 ft * Gross lift: 9,125 lbs * Empty weight: 5,850 lbs * Useful lift: 3,290 lbs * Keel: Articulated steel * Powerplant: Two, Colombo, 125 hp

References

*Shock, James R., "U.S. Navy Airships 1915–1962, Edgewater, Florida, Atlantis Productions, 2001, {{ISBN, 0-9639743-8-6 Airships of the United States Navy Airships of Italy 1910s Italian aircraft 1910s United States aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1919