for it. The day of the planned first flight, the DN-1 was removed from its hangar, only to lose lift and sink. Crew member Petty Officer James F. Shade, up to his chin in the water, invited spectators to come aboard for "the first submerged flight of the DN-1." The DN-1 was returned to its hangar and lightened. One step taken to lighten the DN-1 was the removal of one engine. Operational history When the test program began on 20 April 1917 the DN-1 was a disappointment. DN-1 lacked lift, barely met the speed requirement of and the transmission overheated, melting the bearings. The DN-1 was piloted for its first flight by LCDR Frank M. McCrary USN, LT Stanley V. Parker assisted by PO Jimmy Shade. It was 27 April before the airship flew again. Two days later the handling party which was attempting to tow the airship across the water damaged the DN-1.The Navy decided that the airship was not worth repairing and the DN-1 was scrapped. The "Rigid Airship Manual (GPO, 1928) commented upon the DN-1 "was so overweight that it could barely lift itself off the ground. It's envelope leaked and the power plant functioned badly. It did, however, actually fly and since the firm had built the ship in good faith and at a cost greatly in excess of the contract price[$45,636], it was formally accepted." The DN-1 was an inept failure, being barely capable of flight, delivered long after the planned time, and way over budget. The DN-1 made the Navy realize it did not have the technical skills and knowledge needed to construct airships. The authoritative Jane's All the World's Aircraft described the DN-1 as "of small size, that it was of no practical value; that it was interesting only as an experiment." The DN-1 forced the Navy to take a more effective approach to following airship development depending upon more reliable contractors and closer involvement of the Navy in design and management. The subsequent B, C, and D-Class airships were quite successful. After its demise the DN-1 came to be considered the A class. Such designation was never officially used by the Navy, nor was it used during DN-1's short life. Specifications See also References Grossnick, Roy A., Kite Balloons to Airships... the Navy's Lighter-than-Air Experience 1986, Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. Althoff, William F., SkyShips 1990, Orion Books, New York, Lord Ventry