I have seen them mentioned from time to time but have never found anything solid. Are there any links to a page with more details on when they were used and what they were used for?

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Bloodmoon:The_Patchwork_Airship, and in http://www.imperial-library.info/content/uprising

The Dwemer were making airships but a prototype was never finished, we only see schematics in Morrowind and the Sload use to take airships that used some kind of horrible smelling gas to Tears to buy slaves from the Dres and senchal for the same reason.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-y69ELWNyA