Gondola (airplane)

A gondola, in the context of airships and some early airplanes, refers to a streamlined, enclosed structure suspended below the main body of the aircraft. This compartment typically housed the crew, passengers, and sometimes the engines.

In airships (also known as dirigibles), the gondola was a distinct, rigid structure attached to the envelope (gas bag) by a network of cables or struts. It provided a dedicated space for operations and passenger accommodations, separate from the gas-filled envelope. Airships could have multiple gondolas, serving different purposes.

For early airplanes, particularly large multi-engine aircraft, a gondola could refer to a nacelle or pod containing the engines and sometimes the crew. These gondolas were typically mounted on the wings or other parts of the airframe, providing isolation from the main fuselage. The use of gondolas in airplanes allowed for larger engines to be mounted without significantly disrupting the airflow over the wing. However, the design was largely superseded by integrated engine nacelles and wing-mounted engine configurations.