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.

These versions included airships configured for both anti-submarine warfare and airborne early warning (AEW) missions.

[2] An initial contract was awarded to the Goodyear Aircraft Company for the prototype N-class blimp in the late 1940s, with delivery of the first on in 1952.

In a demonstration of the ability to stay on-station autonomously for considerably extended periods, ZPG-2 "Snow Bird" (BuNo 141561), pilot in command Cdr.

The follow-on and larger AEW blimp was the ZPG-3W, the largest non-rigid airship built to ever enter military service.

[5] The envelope of the blimp was used as a radome for the 42 ft (12.8 m) radar antenna, thus providing the airship with a clean aerodynamic shape.

The July 6, 1960, crash of a Lakehurst-based airship east of Long Beach Island killed 18 sailors, a loss that added pressure on the program.

The Navy subsequently decommissioned its airship units at NAS Glynco, Brunswick, Georgia, and at Lakehurst on October 31, 1961.

Two N-class blimp control cars are currently located at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola, Florida.

It is currently recorded as in storage at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola, Florida awaiting restoration.

At some point post-1995, the control car of 144243 was returned to the 309 AMARG at Davis-Monthan AFB due to space limitations at NNAM.

Although currently residing in unprotected storage, it still represents a far less humid environment and protects the control car from further deterioration until it can be returned to NNAM for eventual restoration and display.