The
N-Class, or as popularly known, the Nan ship, was a line of non-rigid
airships built by the
Goodyear Aircraft Company of
Akron, Ohio for the
US Navy. This line of airships was developed through many versions and assigned various designators as the airship designation system changed in the post World War II era. These versions included airships configured for both
anti-submarine warfare and
airborne early warning (AEW) missions. The initial version, designated
ZPN-1, was a follow-on to the
M-class blimp for patrol missions. The Nan ship used a significantly larger envelope than the M-ship although their overall lengths were similar. Two
Wright radial air-cooled
engines powered the N-Class blimps.