Fire Nation airship



The Fire Nation Airship is a massive aerial vehicle designed and manufactured by the Fire Nation. They appear in for the first time in The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse.

Overview
During Books One and Two, the Fire Nation didn't have much of an air force. However, in The Northern Air Temple, it is revealed that the Fire Nation has blackmailed the Mechanist, an Earth Kingdom inventor, to make weapons for the Fire Nation. Among these weapons was a Fire Nation Balloon. When Aang and his friends discovered this, they drove off the Fire Nation after they launched a large attack on the Northern Air Temple. Unfortunately, War Minister Qin, the overseer of the Fire Nation's weapons development, captured the balloon and proclaimed, "This defeat is the gateway to many victories".

Design
Qin adapted the technology used on the balloons to produce hundreds of these craft, as well as several massive Airships. These hulking war machines are air-powered and employ the use of multiple propeller sets on top of their hulls. They are extremely long in length and have an ornamental dragon's head to instill fear into enemy forces. They are made entirely of metal and are crewed by at least fifty Firebenders. They can carry dozens of bombs that they drop from the hatched on their underbellies in order to destroy ground targets. Catwalks also hang from the ship's underside so that Firebenders can fire projectiles at oncoming enemy air forces. These troops are secured with harnesses.

Weaknesses
At this time, it is unknown what the Airships' weaknesses are, though it has been stated that it was unable to keep up with Appa. Also they are unable to function in hot air, as seen in The Boiling Rock, Part 1.

History
On the Day of Black Sun, after the invasion failed, the Fire Nation released five of these massive craft, alongside several war balloons, to bomb the invaders. Fortunately, the entire force survived thanks to the use of their native elements. Unfortunately, the entire force was trapped when the airships destroyed the Water Tribe Submarines the group used to get into the Fire Nation Capital. Aang and his friends fled on Appa and were forced to leave the adults behind. The small group escaped just as Azula's airship tailed them. She chose not to follow them since Appa was too fast, but was certain that they would be back.

In The Boiling Rock, Part 2, Azula, Ty Lee and Mai go to the prison in one of the Airships. After Sokka and Zuko manage to escape with Suki, Hakoda and Chit Sang, they take control over the Airship, and return to the Western Air Temple in it.

These Airships appeared once again in The Southern Raiders, when Azula led a fleet of them to attack the Western Air Temple. The Airships now feature a cannon able to shoot bombs, and a command tower.