Patent ID: 7287723

Claim:
A lighter than air blimp, comprising an envelope of flexible sheet material and having a nose end and an opposite tail end, and so as to define a longitudinal direction therebetween, at least one relatively flat stabilizing fin mounted adjacent the tail end of the envelope, with said at least one fin comprising (a) a support rod having a foot end joined to the envelope and a second end radially spaced from the envelope, and (b) a panel of flexible sheet material having a leading edge joined along the length of the support rod, a second edge extending along the envelope in a direction generally parallel to said longitudinal direction from the point at which the foot end of the rod is joined to the envelope to a rearward corner, and a trailing edge extending from a point adjacent the second end of the rod to the rearward corner, and with the second edge of the panel being joined to the envelope at least at a location adjacent said rearward corner, and wherein the foot end of the support rod of said at least one fin is pivotally joined to the envelope so as to permit movement between an operative position wherein the rod extends generally radially with respect to the longitudinal direction, and a collapsed position wherein the rod extends along the envelope and generally parallel to the longitudinal direction.