Airship USS Akron. Close-up of the starboard side of the USS Akron (ZRS-4), with the main components labelled. The USS Akron was a helium-filled rigid airship built in the USA by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation. It served as a flying aircraft carrier for F9C Sparrowhawk fighter planes. The Akron was launched on 8th August 1931 and served for 18 months before breaking up in a storm off the coast of New Jersey on 4th April 1933. Seventy-three of the sevent-six on board were killed, the largest loss of life for any airship crash.