AKRON, Ohio — The next generation of the Goodyear blimp is getting ready to take flight as the company retires its current fleet of airships. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. says the helium-filled airship unveiled Friday at a hangar in the Akron, Ohio, area is bigger, quicker and more maneuverable than earlier blimps. The company says it will provide a longer flight range and better aerial broadcast capabilities for event coverage. The new blimp is 246 feet (75 meters) long and has a silver balloon-like body emblazoned with Goodyear's yellow logo on a blue background. It is scheduled to start test flights and go into service this summer. Before then, it needs one more component: a name. Goodyear is collecting suggestions through a contest on its website until April 4. — AP
