Poke: The Strat-2 is either a rigid or semi-rigid airship. No internal pressure is needed to maintain shape. That is precisely why Lockheed's design is doomed to fail. Helium will leak out of their bird like water going through a sieve.
Hi-Sentinel went up to 70,000 feet, but was flacid on the ascent and as the gas expanded, the airship began taking shape. A rigid airship is the only way to go to high altitude and stay there. Rigids have been up to 20,000 feet as early as 1914 during WWI. Germans did that to escape from the Sopwith fighters which had a lower operating ceiling.
Then the Sopwith pilots wised up and started shooting tracers at the bottom of the Zeps which immediately ignited the hydrogen gas.
If you really want to see a good movie about the Zeps during WWI, go watch "Hell's Angels." It is the first movie made by Howard Hughes and it was very well done. You even get to see Jean Harlow in color - Zowie! One part of the movie was actually filmed in color. Harlow was one good looking Mama.
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