Zeppelins are types of rigid airships pioneered by German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century, based in part on an earlier design by aviation pioneer David Schwarz. Due to the outstanding success of the Zeppelin design, the term zeppelin in casual use came to refer to all rigid dirigibles. Zeppelins were operated by the Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-AG (DELAG). DELAG, the first commercial airline, served scheduled flights before World War I. After the outbreak of the war, the German military made extensive use of Zeppelins as bombers and scouts. Construction of the USS Shenandoah (ZR-1), 1923, showing the framework of a rigid airship. ... Zeppelin Ferdinand von Zeppelin Ferdinand Adolf August Heinrich Graf von Zeppelin (July 8, 1838 – March 8, 1917) was the founder of the Zeppelin airship company. ... David Schwarz. ... LZ 10, a DELAG zeppelin DELAG, Deutsche Luftschifffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft (German: acronym for German Airship Transport Corporation) was the worlds first airline. ... An Airbus A380 of Emirates Airline An airline provides air transport services for passengers or freight. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

The German defeat halted the airship business temporarily, but under the guidance of Hugo Eckener, the successor of the deceased count, civilian zeppelins experienced a renaissance in the 1920s. They reached their zenith in the 1930s, when the airships LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin and LZ 129 Hindenburg operated regular transatlantic flights between Germany and both North and South America. The Hindenburg accident in 1937, combined with political and economic issues, contributed to the demise of the Zeppelin. Dr. Hugo Eckener (August 10, 1868–August 14, 1954) was the old man of the Zeppelin airship company. ... Graf Zeppelin, filled with abundant hydrogen, circumnavigated the globe. ... The Hindenburg redirects here. ... For other uses, see Transatlantic (disambiguation). ...

Principal Characteristics

A Zeppelin

The most important feature of Zeppelin's design is a rigid metal alloy skeleton, made of rings and longitudinal girders.^[1] The advantage of this concept is that they can be built much larger, which enables them to lift heavier loads and be equipped with more numerous and powerful engines than non-rigids, commonly known as blimps, which rely on a slight overpressure within the single gasbag to maintain their shape. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 239 pixelsFull resolution (1607 × 480 pixel, file size: 179 KB, MIME type: image/png) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 239 pixelsFull resolution (1607 × 480 pixel, file size: 179 KB, MIME type: image/png) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... This article is about metallic materials. ... “Blimp” redirects here. ...

The basic form of the first Zeppelins was a long cylinder with tapered fronts and complex multi-plane fins. During World War I, as a result of improvements by the competing firm of Schütte-Lanz Luftschiffbau, the design was changed to the familiar streamlined shape and cruciform fins used by almost all airships since. Within this outer envelope, several separate balloons, or "cells", contained the lighter-than-air gas hydrogen or helium. Non-rigid airships do not have multiple gas cells. Motive power was provided by several internal combustion engines, mounted in nacelles rigidly connected to the skeleton. Steering was made possible by adjusting and selectively reversing engine thrust and by using rudder and elevator fins. FINS is a network protocol used by Omron PLCs, over different physical networks like Ethernet, Controller Link, DeviceNet and RS-232C. Categories: | ... Schütte-Lanz is the name of a type of rigid airship designed and built for the first time in 1909 which was a successful early competitor of the more famous airships built by Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... Lighter than air gases are buoyant in air because they have a density that is less than the density of air. ... This article is about the chemistry of hydrogen. ... General Name, symbol, number helium, He, 2 Chemical series noble gases Group, period, block 18, 1, s Appearance colorless Standard atomic weight 4. ... A colorized automobile engine The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of fuel and an oxidizer (typically air) occurs in a confined space called a combustion chamber. ... Look up nacelle in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

A comparatively small compartment for passengers and crew was built into the bottom of the frame, but in large Zeppelins this is not the entire habitable space; they often carried crew or cargo internally for aerodynamic reasons.

History

The First Generations

Ferdinand von Zeppelin

Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin became interested in constructing a "Zeppelin balloon" after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, where he witnessed French use of them to transport mail during the early war.^[2] He had also encountered Union Army Balloon Corps employment in 1863, during the American Civil War, as a military observer with the Union Army.^[2] He began to seriously pursue his project after his early retirement from the military in 1890 at the age of 52. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see Graf Zeppelin (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Balloon (disambiguation). ... Combatants Second French Empire North German Confederation allied with South German states (later German Empire) Commanders Napoleon III François Achille Bazaine Patrice de Mac-Mahon, duc de Magenta Otto von Bismarck Helmuth von Moltke the Elder Strength 400,000 at wars beginning 1,200,000 Casualties 150,000... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Woodblock sketch of Lowes balloon with McClellans Army of the Potomac as depicted in Harpers Weekly. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... In this map:  Union states prohibiting slavery  Union territories  Border states on the Union side which allowed slavery  Kansas, which entered and fought with the Union as a free state after the Bleeding Kansas crisis  The Confederacy  Confederate claimed and sometimes held territories During the American Civil War, the Union...

Convinced of the potential importance of aircraft, he started working on various designs shortly after leaving the military. He eventually purchased the rights to the designs of inventor David Schwarz after that inventor died suddenly before successfully flying, drawing heavily on Schwarz's design. David Schwarz. ...

On August 31, 1895, von Zeppelin obtained a patent which already included most of the aforementioned features.^[3] One unusual idea, which never saw service, was the ability to connect several independent airship elements like train wagons;^[4] in fact, the patent title called the design Lenkbarer Luftfahrzug (steerable air-cruising train). is the 243rd day of the year (244th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Patent (disambiguation). ...

An expert committee to whom he had presented his plans in 1894 showed little interest, so the count was on his own in realizing his idea.^[4] In 1898 he founded the Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Luftschiffahrt (company for the promotion of airship flight), contributing more than half of its 800,000 Mark share capital himself. He assigned the technical implementation to the engineer Theodor Kober and later to Ludwig Dürr. The word mark (from an apparently non-Teutonic word found in all Teutonic and Romance languages, and Latinized as marca or marcus) originally expressed a measure of weight only for gold and silver, commonly used throughout western Europe and equivalent to 8 oz (ounces). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Construction of the first Zeppelin began in 1899 in a floating assembly hall on the Bodensee in the Bay of Manzell, Friedrichshafen. This location was intended to facilitate the difficult launching procedure, as the hall could easily be aligned with the wind. The prototype airship LZ 1 (LZ for Luftschiff Zeppelin, or "Airship Zeppelin") had a length of 128 m (420 ft), was driven by two, 14.2-hp, (10.6-kW), Daimler engines and was controlled in pitch by moving a weight between its two nacelles. Lake Constance (German Bodensee, also known as Schwäbisches Meer (informally) and sometimes written Lake of Constance) is a lake on the Rhine between Germany, Switzerland and Austria. ... Friedrichshafen is a town on the northern side of Lake Constance (Bodensee) in southern Germany, near the borders with Switzerland and Austria. ... For other uses, see Prototype (disambiguation). ... This article is about a unit of measurement. ... The kilowatt (symbol: kW) is a unit for measuring power, equal to one thousand watts. ... Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (Daimler Motor Company or DMG) was a German engine and later automobile manufacturer that operated from 1890 until 1926. ... Look up nacelle in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The first ascent of LZ 1 over the Bodensee in 1900.

The first Zeppelin flight occurred on July 2, 1900 over the Bodensee. It lasted only 18 minutes before LZ 1 was forced to land on the lake after the winding mechanism for the balancing weight broke. Upon repair, rigid airship technology proved its potential in subsequent flights (the second and third flights were in October 1900 and October 24, 1900 respectively), beating the 6 m/s velocity record of the French airship La France by 3 m/s. This performance, however, did little to convince possible investors. With his financial resources depleted, Count von Zeppelin was forced to disassemble the prototype, sell it for scrap, and close the company in 1901.^[5] Download high resolution version (905x591, 64 KB)First ascent of a Zeppelin LZ1 on his maiden flight above Lake Constance on July 2, 1900 Source Print & Photographs (P&P) Online Catalog of the Library of Congress [1] Licence This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright... Download high resolution version (905x591, 64 KB)First ascent of a Zeppelin LZ1 on his maiden flight above Lake Constance on July 2, 1900 Source Print & Photographs (P&P) Online Catalog of the Library of Congress [1] Licence This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ... Metre per second (U.S. spelling: meter per second) is an SI derived unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector), defined by distance in metres divided by time in seconds. ... Metre per second (U.S. spelling: meter per second) is an SI derived unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector), defined by distance in metres divided by time in seconds. ... An investor is any party that makes an investment. ... Year 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

It was largely due to support by aviation enthusiasts that von Zeppelin's idea got a second (and third) chance and would be developed into a reasonably reliable technology. Only then could the airships be profitably used for civilian aviation and sold to the military.

Donations, the profits of a special lottery, some public funding, a mortgage of Count von Zeppelin's wife's estate and a 100,000 Mark contribution by Count von Zeppelin himself allowed the construction of LZ 2, which took off for the first and only time on January 17, 1906.^[6] After both motors failed, it made a forced landing in the Allgäu mountains, where the anchored ship was subsequently damaged beyond repair by a storm. A lottery is a popular form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize. ... is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Allgäu as seen from a hot air balloon Allgäu is an area in south-west of Swabia (Bavaria) and contains also a small part of south-east Baden-Württemberg. ...

Incorporating all usable parts of LZ 2, the successor LZ 3 became the first truly successful Zeppelin, which by 1908 had traveled 4,398 km in total in the course of 45 flights. The technology then interested the German military, who bought LZ 3 and redesignated it Z 1. She served as a school ship until 1913, when she was decommissioned as obsolescent. A school ship is a ship used for the training of students as sailors. ...

Wreckage of LZ 4. The LZ 4 was destroyed when a storm broke the zeppelin from its mooring causing it to crash into a tree and catch fire.

The army was also willing to buy LZ 4, but requested a demonstration of her ability to make a 24 hour trip.^[7] While attempting to fulfill this requirement, the crew of LZ 4 had to make an intermediate landing in Echterdingen near Stuttgart. During the stop, a storm tore the airship away from its anchorage in the afternoon of August 5, 1908. She crashed into a tree, caught fire, and quickly burnt to ruins. No one was seriously injured, though two technicians repairing the engines escaped only by making a hazardous jump. This accident would have certainly knocked out the Zeppelin project economically had not one of the spectators in the crowd spontaneously initiated a collection of donations, yielding an impressive total of 6,096,555 Mark. This enabled the Count to found the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH (Airship Construction Zeppelin Ltd.) and a Zeppelin Foundation. Download high resolution version (1496x482, 186 KB)Wreckage of the Zeppelin LZ4 after the crash in Echterdingen on August 5, 1908. ... Download high resolution version (1496x482, 186 KB)Wreckage of the Zeppelin LZ4 after the crash in Echterdingen on August 5, 1908. ... Leinfelden-Echterdingen is a town in the district of Esslingen, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. ... For other uses, see Stuttgart (disambiguation). ... is the 217th day of the year (218th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Pre World War I

Monument near Bad Iburg commemorating the 1910 LZ 7 crash

Prior to World War I, a total of 21 Zeppelin airships (LZ 5 to LZ 25) were manufactured. In 1909, LZ 6 became the first Zeppelin used for commercial passenger transport. The world's first airline, the newly founded DELAG, bought seven LZ 6s by 1914. The airships were given names in addition to their production numbers, three of which are LZ 8 Deutschland II (1911), LZ 11 Viktoria Luise (1912), and LZ 17 Sachsen (1913). Seven of these twenty-seven ships were destroyed in accidents, mostly while being transferred into their halls. There were no casualties. One of them was LZ 7 Deutschland which started for its maiden voyage on June 19, 1910. On June 28th it began a pleasure trip to make Zeppelins more popular. Among those aboard were 19 journalists, two of whom were reporters of well known British newspapers. LZ 7 crashed in bad weather at Mount Limberg near Bad Iburg in Lower Saxony. Nobody was injured.^[8] Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Bad Iburg is a town in the district of Osnabrück, in Lower Saxony, Germany. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... An Airbus A380 of Emirates Airline An airline provides air transport services for passengers or freight. ... Bad Iburg is a town in the district of Osnabrück, in Lower Saxony, Germany. ...

Altogether, the airships traveled approximately 200,000 km (124,000 miles) and transported about 40,000 passengers.

The German Army and Navy purchased 14 Zeppelins, who labeled their aircraft Z 1/2/... and L 1/2/..., respectively. During the war, the Army changed their scheme twice: following Z XII, they switched to using LZ numbers, later adding 30 to obscure the total production. When World War I broke out, the military also took over the three remaining DELAG ships. By this time, it had already decommissioned three other Zeppelins (LZ 3 "Z 1" included). Five more had been lost in accidents, in two of which people died: a storm pushed Navy Zeppelin LZ 14"L 1" down into the North Sea, drowning 14, and LZ 18 "L 2" burst into flames following an engine explosion, killing the entire crew. The German Army (German: [1], [IPA: heɐ]  ) is the land component of the Bundeswehr (Federal Defence Forces) of the Federal Republic of Germany. ... German frigate Karlsruhe rescuing shipwrecked people off the coast of Somalia while participating in the international anti-terror operation ENDURING FREEDOM, April 2005 The Laboe Naval Memorial for sailors who lost their lives at sea during the World Wars and while on duty at sea and U 995 Modern air... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ...

By 1914, state-of-the-art Zeppelins had lengths of 150–160 m (490–525 feet) and volumes of 22,000–25,000 m³, enabling them to carry loads of around 9 tonnes (20,000 lb.) They were typically powered by three Maybach motors of around 400–550 hp (300–410 kW) each, reaching speeds up to about 80 km/h (49 mph or 22 m/s). The state of the art is the highest level of development, as of a device, technique, or scientific field, achieved at a particular time. ... Several Maybach 57 and 62 models at the 2005 Concours dElegance in Pebble Beach, CA. Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH (IPA: ), founded by Wilhelm Maybach and his son Karl, was a German manufacturer of engines for Zeppelins and later, large and luxurious automobiles. ... Kilometre per hour (American spelling: kilometer per hour) is a unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector). ...

During World War I

Bombers and Scouts

Zeppelins were used as bombers during World War I, without notable success. At the beginning of the conflict the German command had high hopes for the craft, as they appeared to have compelling advantages over contemporary aircraft - they were almost as fast, carried many more guns, and had a greater bomb load capacity and enormously greater range and endurance. However, their great weakness was their vulnerability to gunfire. “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

The first offensive use of Zeppelins was just two days after the invasion of Belgium. A single craft, the Z VI, was damaged by gunfire and made a forced landing near Cologne. Two more Zeppelins were shot down in August and one was captured by the French. Their use against well-defended targets in daytime raids was a mistake and the High Command lost all confidence in the Zeppelin, leaving it to the Naval Air Service to make any further use of the craft. Cologne (German: , IPA: ; local dialect: Kölle ) is Germanys fourth-largest city after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than...

A Zeppelin above the battleship SMS Großer Kurfürst in 1917

The main use of the craft was in reconnaissance over the North Sea and the Baltic, where the admirable endurance of the craft led German warships to a number of Allied vessels. During the entire war around 1,200 scouting flights were made.^{[citation needed]} The Naval Air Service also directed a number of strategic raids against Britain, leading the way in bombing techniques and also forcing the British to bolster their anti-aircraft defenses. The first airship raids were approved by the Kaiser in January 1915. The nighttime raids were intended to target only military sites, but after blackouts became widespread, many bombs fell randomly in East Anglia. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... SMS Grosser Kurfürst was a German Koenig Class battleship of the Kaiserliche Marine during the First World War. ... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... For other uses, see Baltic (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Norfolk and Suffolk, the core area of East Anglia. ...

The first raid was on January 19, 1915, the first bombing of civilians ever, in which two Zeppelins dropped 24 Χ 50 kg high explosive bombs and ineffective 3 kg incendiaries on Great Yarmouth, Sheringham, King's Lynn and the surrounding villages. In all four people were killed, sixteen injured and monetary damage estimated at £7,740, although the public and media reaction were out of all proportion to the death toll. There were a further 19 raids in 1915, in which 37 tons of bombs were dropped, killing 181 people and injuring 455. British defenses were divided between the Royal Navy and the British Army at first, before the Army took full control in February 1916, and a variety of sub 4-inch (102mm) caliber guns were converted to anti-aircraft use. Searchlights were introduced, initially manned by police, but their inexperience led to a number of illuminated clouds being mistaken for attacking airships. Aerial defenses against Zeppelins were haphazard and the lack of an interrupter gear in early fighters meant the basic technique of downing them was to drop bombs on them (a technique to resurface in World War II). The first man to bring down a Zeppelin in this way was R. A. J. Warneford of the RNAS, flying a Morane Parasol on June 7, 1915. Dropping six 9 kg bombs, he set fire to LZ 37 over Ghent and as a result won the Victoria Cross. is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday[1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Bomb (disambiguation). ... Great Yarmouth, often known to locals simply as Yarmouth, is an English coastal town in the county of Norfolk. ... Sheringham from the mound Sheringham is a seaside town (population 7143[1]) in Norfolk, England, west of Cromer. ... , Kings Lynn is a town and port in Norfolk, England. ... This article is about the navy of the United Kingdom. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Calibre redirects here. ... This article is about the video game. ... American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline in 1943 Anti-aircraft, or air defense, is any method of combating military aircraft from the ground. ... Edisons classical searchlight cart. ... Damaged propeller from a Sopwith Baby aircraft circa 1916/17 with evidence of bulletholes from a machine gun fired behind the propeller without an Interruptor. ... An A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-86 Sabre, P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang fly in formation during an air show at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Reginald Alexander John Warneford was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of World War I. When the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was founded on April 13, 1912 it was intended to encompass all military flying. ... The Morane-Saulnier Type L was a French parasol wing one or two-seat aeroplane of the First World War. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday[1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Victoria Cross (disambiguation). ...

Plaque commemorating a World War I Zeppelin raid on 61 Farringdon Road, London.

Raids continued in 1916. After an accidental bombing of London in May (not the first, as the plaque to the right shows), in July the Kaiser allowed directed raids against urban centers. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 2231 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Zeppelin Bomb User:Justinc ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 2231 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Zeppelin Bomb User:Justinc ... Farringdon Road is a road in Central London. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

There were 23 airship raids in 1916 in which 125 tons of ordnance were dropped, killing 293 people and injuring 691. Anti-aircraft defenses were becoming tougher and new Zeppelins were introduced which increased their operating altitude from 1,800 m (6,000 ft) to 3,750m (12,375 ft). To avoid searchlights, they flew above the clouds whenever possible, lowering an observer through them to direct the bombing. The improved safety was counteracted by the extra strain on the airship crews and the British introduction in mid-1916 of synchronized-gun fighters. The first night-fighter victory came on September 2, 1916 when Lt. William Leefe Robinson, flying from Sutton's Farm, shot down one of a 16-strong raiding force over London, using incendiary ammunition. (The airship wasn't a Zeppelin but a wooden-framed Schütte-Lanz SL11). He too was awarded a Victoria Cross. Early in the morning of September 24, 1916, an airborne fighter and anti-aircraft guns caused the L.33 (Kapitänleutnant Bocker) to crash land at Little Wigborough near Colchester, Essex, on its first raid. A close inspection of its wrecked structure enabled the British to understand where their own rigid airship designs had been deficient. Furthermore, one 250 hp engine recovered from the wreck subsequently substituted for two (of four) 180 hp engines on a Vickers-built machine, the hitherto underpowered R.9. is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... William Leefe Robinsons grave at All Saints Church Cemetery William Leefe Robinson (1895–1918) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... RAF Hornchurch was an airfield in the south of Hornchurch in what is now the London Borough of Havering. ... Schütte-Lanz is the name of a type of rigid airship designed and built for the first time in 1909 which was a successful early competitor of the more famous airships built by Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin. ... Schütte-Lanz is the name of a type of rigid airship designed and built for the first time in 1909 which was a successful early competitor of the more famous airships built by Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin. ... For other uses, see Victoria Cross (disambiguation). ... is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Kapitänleutnant is the third lowest officers rank in the German Navy. ... For other places with the same name, see Colchester (disambiguation). ... For other meanings of Essex, see Essex (disambiguation). ... Vickers, Limited was a famous British engineering conglomerate that merged into Vickers Armstrong in 1927. ...

Effective fighters marked the end of the Zeppelin threat. New Zeppelins came into service that could operate at 5,500 m (17,000 ft) but exposed them to extremes of cold, and changeable winds that could, and did, scatter many Zeppelin raids. In 1917 and 1918 there were only 11 Zeppelin raids against England, the final one on August 5, 1918, resulted in the death of Korvettenkapitän Peter Strasser, commander of the German Naval Airship Department. is the 217th day of the year (218th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Korvettenkapitän (corvette captain) is a rank in the German Navy that is equivalent to a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy or Royal Navy. ... Portrait of Peter Strasser in 1914, commander of the Luftschiffer German Airforce Peter Strasser (April 1, 1876 - August 6, 1918) Chief Commander of Germanys Luftschiffer airforce during World War I. He was the main leader of the Zeppelins command and in charge, operating bombing campaigns from 1915 to 1918. ...

A total of 84 Zeppelins were built during the war. Over 60 were lost, roughly evenly divided between accident and enemy action. 51 raids had been undertaken,^[9] in which 5,806 bombs were dropped, killing 557 people and injuring 1,358. It has been argued the raids were effective far beyond material damage in diverting and hampering wartime production, and diverting 12 fighter squadrons and over 10,000 personnel to air defenses.

Technological Progress

Strategic issues aside, Zeppelin technology improved considerably as a result of the increasing demands of warfare. In late World War I the Zeppelin Company, having spawned several dependencies around Germany with shipyards closer to the fronts than Friedrichshafen, delivered airships of around 200m (660ft) in length (some even more) and with volumes of 56,000-69,000m³. These dirigibles could carry loads of 40-50 tonnes and reach speeds up to 100-130 km/h (60-65mph) using five or even six Maybach engines of around 260hp (195 kW) each. Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH is a German company which, during the early 20th century, was a leader in the design and manufacture of rigid airships. ... Kilometre per hour (American spelling: kilometer per hour) is a unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector). ... Several Maybach 57 and 62 models at the 2005 Concours dElegance in Pebble Beach, CA. Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH (IPA: ), founded by Wilhelm Maybach and his son Karl, was a German manufacturer of engines for Zeppelins and later, large and luxurious automobiles. ...

To avoid enemy defenses such as British aircraft guns and searchlights, Zeppelins became capable of much higher altitudes (up to 7,600 m) and they also proved capable of long-range flights. For example, LZ 104 L.59, based in Yambol, Bulgaria, was sent to reinforce troops in German East Africa (today Tanzania) in November 1917. The ship did not arrive in time and had to return following reports of German defeat by British troops, but it had traveled 6,757 km in 95 hours and thus had broken a long-distance flight record. Yambol (Bulgarian: Ямбол, also transliterated as Jambol) is the principal town in Yambol Province, Bulgaria, located on the Tunzha River. ... The Schutztruppe was the colonial armed force of Imperial Germany from the late 1800s to 1918 when Germany lost its colonies. ... German East Africa (German: Deutsch-Ostafrika) was Germanys colony in East Africa, including what is now Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanganyika, the mainland part of present Tanzania. ...

A considerable, frequently overlooked, contribution to these technological advancements originated from Zeppelin's only serious competitor, the Mannheim-based Schütte-Lanz airship construction company. While their dirigibles never became comparably successful, Professor Schütte's more scientific approach to airship design led to a number of important innovations copied, over time, by the Zeppelin company. These included, for example, the streamlined hull shape, the simple yet functional cruciform fins (replacing the more complicated box-like arrangements of older Zeppelins), individual direct-drive engine cars, anti-aircraft machine-gun positions, and gas ventilation shafts which removed excess hydrogen for safety. Mannheim is a city in Germany. ...

The End of the War

The German defeat in the war also marked the end of German military dirigibles, as the victorious Allies demanded a complete disarmament of German air forces and delivery of the remaining airships as war reparations. Specifically, the Treaty of Versailles contained the following articles dealing explicitly with dirigibles: War reparations refer to the monetary compensation provided to a triumphant nation or coalition from a defeated nation or coalition. ... This article is about the Treaty of Versailles of June 28, 1919, which ended World War I. For other uses, see Treaty of Versailles (disambiguation) . The Treaty of Versailles (1919) was a peace treaty that officially ended World War I between the Allied and Associated Powers and Germany. ...

Article 198

The armed forces of Germany must not include any military or naval air forces. [...] No dirigible shall be kept.

Article 202

On the coming into force of the present Treaty, all military and naval aeronautical material [...] must be delivered to the Governments of the Principal Allied and Associated Powers. [...] In particular, this material will include all items under the following heads which are or have been in use or were designed for warlike purposes:

[...]

• Dirigibles able to take the air, being manufactured, repaired or assembled.
• Plant for the manufacture of hydrogen.
• Dirigible sheds and shelters of every kind for aircraft.

Pending their delivery, dirigibles will, at the expense of Germany, be maintained inflated with hydrogen; the plant for the manufacture of hydrogen, as well as the sheds for dirigibles may at the discretion of the said Powers, be left to Germany until the time when the dirigibles are handed over. [...]

On June 23, 1919, a week before the treaty was signed, many war Zeppelin crews destroyed their airships in their halls in order to avoid delivery. In doing so, they followed the example of the German fleet which had been scuttled two days before in Scapa Flow. The remaining dirigibles were transferred to France, Italy, Britain, and Belgium in 1920. is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship, either to dispose of an old vessel or to prevent the vehicle from being captured by an enemy force. ... It has been suggested that Gutter Sound be merged into this article or section. ...

Post World War I

First Steps Towards a Renaissance

Count von Zeppelin had died in 1917, before the end of the war. Dr. Hugo Eckener, a man who had long before envisioned dirigibles as vessels of peace rather than warfare, took command of the Zeppelin business. With the Treaty of Versailles having knocked out their competitor Schütte-Lanz, specialist in military airships, the Zeppelin company and DELAG hoped to resume civilian flights quickly. In fact, despite considerable difficulties, they completed two small Zeppelins: LZ 120 Bodensee, which first flew in August 1919 and in the following two years actually transported some 4,000 passengers; and LZ 121 Nordstern, which was foreseen for a regular route to Stockholm. Dr. Hugo Eckener (August 10, 1868–August 14, 1954) was the old man of the Zeppelin airship company. ... This article is about the Treaty of Versailles of June 28, 1919, which ended World War I. For other uses, see Treaty of Versailles (disambiguation) . The Treaty of Versailles (1919) was a peace treaty that officially ended World War I between the Allied and Associated Powers and Germany. ... For other uses, see Stockholm (disambiguation). ...

However, in 1921, the Allied Powers demanded these two Zeppelins be delivered as war reparations, as compensation for the dirigibles destroyed by their crews in 1919. Further Zeppelin projects could not be realized, partly because of Allied interdiction. This temporarily halted German Zeppelin aviation.

However, Eckener and his co-workers refused to give up and kept looking for investors and a way to circumvent Allied restrictions. Their opportunity came in 1924. The United States had started to experiment with rigid airships, constructing one of their own, the ZR-1 USS Shenandoah (see below), and ordering another from the UK when the British R38 (ZR-2) was canceled. However, R38 (based on the Zeppelin L70, ordered as ZR-2) broke apart and exploded during a test flight above the Humber on August 23 1921, killing 44 crewmen. ZR-1 at the mooring mast The USS Shenandoah was the first of four United States Navy rigid airships. ... For the subway cars see R38 (New York City Subway car), or London Underground R Stock. ... River Hull tidal barrier. ... {| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1921: Events Bessie Coleman attends flying school in France and became the first licensed African-American female pilot. ...

Under these circumstances, Eckener managed to acquire an order for the next American dirigible. Of course, Germany had to pay the costs for this airship itself, as they were calculated against the war reparation accounts, but for the Zeppelin company, this was secondary. So engineer Dr Dürr designed LZ 126, and using all the expertise accumulated over the years, the company finally achieved its best Zeppelin so far, which took off for a first test flight on August 27, 1924. is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the rap album, see 1924 (album). ...

ZR-3 USS Los Angeles over southern Manhattan.

The USS Los Angeles, a US Navy zeppelin built by the Zeppelin Company.

No insurance company was willing to issue a policy for the delivery to Lakehurst, which, of course, involved a transatlantic flight. Eckener, however, was so confident of the new ship that he was ready to risk the entire business capital, and on October 12, 0730 local time, the Zeppelin took off for the States under his command. His faith was not disappointed, and the ship completed her 8050 km voyage without any difficulties in 81 hours and two minutes. American crowds enthusiastically celebrated the arrival, and President Calvin Coolidge invited Dr. Eckener and his crew to the White House, calling the new Zeppelin an "angel of peace". Image File history File links Uss_los_angeles_airship_over_Manhattan. ... Image File history File links Uss_los_angeles_airship_over_Manhattan. ... The USS Los Angeles flying over southern Manhattan The USS Los Angeles was an airship, designated ZR-3, that was built in 1923-1924 by the Zeppelin factory in Friedrichshafen, Germany, where it was originally designated LZ-126. ... The USS Los Angeles flying over southern Manhattan The USS Los Angeles was an airship, designated ZR-3, that was built in 1923-1924 by the Zeppelin factory in Friedrichshafen, Germany, where it was originally designated LZ-126. ... USN redirects here. ... Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH is a German company which, during the early 20th century, was a leader in the design and manufacture of rigid airships. ... Lakehurst is a borough located in Ocean County, New Jersey. ... For other uses, see Transatlantic (disambiguation). ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. ... For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ...

Under its new designation ZR-3 USS Los Angeles (the former LZ 126) became the most successful American airship. She operated reliably for eight years until being retired in 1932 for economic reasons and dismantled in August 1940. The USS Los Angeles flying over southern Manhattan The USS Los Angeles was an airship, designated ZR-3, that was built in 1923-1924 by the Zeppelin factory in Friedrichshafen, Germany, where it was originally designated LZ-126. ...

The Golden Age

With the delivery of LZ 126, the Zeppelin company had reasserted its lead in rigid airship construction, but it was not yet quite back in business. Acquiring the necessary funds for the next project proved a problem in the difficult economic situation of post-World-War-I Germany, and it took Eckener two years of lobbying and publicity work to secure the realization of LZ 127.

Another two years passed before September 18, 1928, when the new dirigible, christened Graf Zeppelin in honor of the Count, flew for the first time. With a total length of 236.6m and a volume of 105,000 m³, she was the largest dirigible yet. is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Graf Zeppelin, filled with abundant hydrogen, circumnavigated the globe. ...

Eckener's initial concept was to use Graf Zeppelin for experimental and demonstration purposes to prepare the way for regular airship traveling, but carry passengers and mail to cover the costs. In October 1928 the first long-range voyage brought her to Lakehurst, where Eckener and his crew were once more welcomed enthusiastically with confetti parades in New York and another invitation to the White House. Later Graf Zeppelin toured Germany and visited Italy, Palestine, and Spain. A second trip to the United States was aborted in France due to engine failure in May 1929. A 2003 satellite image of the region. ...

In August 1929 LZ 127 departed for another daring enterprise: a circumnavigation of the globe. The growing popularity of the "giant of the air" made it easy for Eckener to find sponsors. One of these was the American press tycoon William Randolph Hearst, who requested the tour officially start in Lakehurst. As with the October 1928 flight to New York, Hearst had placed a reporter Grace Marguerite Hay Drummond-Hay on board who therefore became the first woman to circumnavigate the globe by air. From there, Graf Zeppelin flew to Friedrichshafen, then Tokyo, Los Angeles, and back to Lakehurst, in 21 days 5 hours and 31 minutes. Including the initial and final trips Friedrichshafen-Lakehurst and back, the dirigible traveled 49,618 km. “Round the world” redirects here. ... For other people named William Randolph Hearst, see William Randolph Hearst (disambiguation) William Randolph Hearst I (April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American newspaper magnate. ... Grace Marguerite Lethbridge Lady Grace Marguerite Hay Drummond-Hay (born Grace Marguerite Lethbridge, 1 September 1895 in Hampstead, Liverpool - 12 February 1946 in Manhattan) was the first woman to travel around the world by air, in a Zeppelin. ... For other uses, see Tokyo (disambiguation). ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ...

US Air Mail 1930 picturing Graf Zeppelin

In the following year, Graf Zeppelin undertook a number of trips around Europe, and following a successful tour to South America in May 1930, it was decided to open the first regular transatlantic airship line. Despite the beginning of the Great Depression and growing competition from fixed-wing aircraft, LZ 127 would transport an increasing volume of passengers and mail across the ocean every year until 1936. Besides, the ship pursued another spectacular venue in July 1931 with a research trip to the Arctic; this had already been a dream of Count von Zeppelin twenty years earlier, which could, however, not be realized at the time due to the outbreak of war. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x561, 199 KB) Scan of United States 64c airmail Zeppelin stamp of 1930, made by User:Stan Shebs File links The following pages link to this file: Postage stamps and postal history of the United States Zeppelin mail LZ 127 Graf... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x561, 199 KB) Scan of United States 64c airmail Zeppelin stamp of 1930, made by User:Stan Shebs File links The following pages link to this file: Postage stamps and postal history of the United States Zeppelin mail LZ 127 Graf... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... For other uses, see The Great Depression (disambiguation). ... For the ships, see USS Arctic, SS Arctic, MV Arctic The red line indicates the 10°C isotherm in July, sometimes used to define the Arctic region border Artificially coloured topographical map of the Arctic region The Arctic is the region around the Earths North Pole, opposite the Antarctic...

Eckener intended to supplement the successful craft by another, similar Zeppelin, projected as LZ 128. However the disastrous accident of the British passenger airship R101 on October 5, 1930 led the Zeppelin company to reconsider the safety of hydrogen-filled vessels, and the design was abandoned in favor of a new project. LZ 129 would advance Zeppelin technology considerably, and was intended to be filled with inert helium. The R101 Airship was a newly-built British airship that crashed on October 5, 1930 in France with 48 casualties. ... For other uses, see 5th October (Serbia). ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... In English, to be inert is to be in a state of doing little or nothing. ... General Name, symbol, number helium, He, 2 Chemical series noble gases Group, period, block 18, 1, s Appearance colorless Standard atomic weight 4. ...

The Fall

The Hindenburg on fire

Following 1933, the establishment of the Nazi dictatorship in Germany began to overshadow the Zeppelin business. The Nazis were not interested in Eckener's ideals of peacefully connecting people; they also knew very well dirigibles would be useless in combat and thus chose to focus on heavier-than-air technology. Image File history File links Hindenburg_burning. ... Image File history File links Hindenburg_burning. ... Nazism in history Nazi ideology Nazism and race Outside Germany Related subjects Lists Politics Portal         Nazism or National Socialism (German: Nationalsozialismus), refers primarily to the ideology and practices of the Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workers Party, German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP) under Adolf Hitler. ...

On the other hand, they were eager to exploit the popularity of the airships for propaganda. As Eckener refused to cooperate, Hermann Göring, the Nazi Air minister, formed a new airline in 1935, the Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei (DZR), which took over operation of airship flights. Zeppelins would now prominently display the Nazi swastika on their fins and occasionally tour Germany to indoctrinate the people with march music and Nazi propaganda speeches from the air. 1967 Chinese propaganda poster from the Cultural Revolution. ... Hermann Wilhelm Göring ( ) (also Goering in English) (January 12, 1893 – October 15, 1946) was a German politician and military leader, a leading member of the Nazi Party, second in command of the Third Reich, and commander of the Luftwaffe. ... This article is about the symbol. ...

On March 4, 1936, LZ 129 Hindenburg (quickly named after former President of Germany Paul von Hindenburg by Eckener in an attempt to preempt the Nazi Party from naming the ship after Hitler) made her first flight. The Hindenburg was the largest airship ever built. However, in the new political situation, Eckener had not obtained the helium to inflate it due to a military embargo; only the United States possessed the rare gas in usable quantities. So, in what ultimately proved a fatal decision, the Hindenburg was filled with flammable hydrogen. Apart from the propaganda missions, LZ 129 began to serve the transatlantic lines together with Graf Zeppelin. is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Hindenburg redirects here. ... The President of Germany is Germanys head of state. ... Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg, known universally as Paul von Hindenburg (2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German field marshal and statesman. ... Hitler redirects here. ... For delayed access after publication, see Embargo (academic publishing). ... This article is about the chemistry of hydrogen. ... Graf Zeppelin, filled with abundant hydrogen, circumnavigated the globe. ...

On May 6, 1937, while landing in Lakehurst after a transatlantic flight, in front of thousands of spectators, the tail of the ship caught fire, and within seconds, the Hindenburg burst into flames, killing 35 of the 97 people on board and one member of the ground crew. The actual cause of the fire has not been definitively determined, it is likely that a combination of leaking hydrogen from a torn gas bag, the vibrations caused by a swift rotation for a quicker landing to have started static electricity in the duralumin alloy skeleton and a flammable outer coating accounted for the fact that the fire spread from its starting point in the tail to engulf the entire airship so rapidly (34 seconds). is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lakehurst is a borough located in Ocean County, New Jersey. ...

Whatever caused the disaster, the end of the dirigible era was due to politics and the upcoming war, not the wreck itself, though it surely led to some public misgivings. Despite everything, there remained a list of 400 people who still wanted to fly as Zeppelin passengers and had paid for the trip. In 1940 the money they had paid for the trip was refunded.

Graf Zeppelin completed more flights, though not for overseas commercial flights to the U.S., and was retired one month after the Hindenburg wreck and turned into a museum. Dr. Eckener kept trying to obtain helium gas for Hindenburg's sister ship, Graf Zeppelin II, but due to political bias against the airship's commercial use by the Nazi leadership, coupled with inability to obtain helium gas in sufficient quantities due to an embargo by the United States, his efforts were in vain. The intended new flagship Zeppelin was completed in 1938 and, inflated with hydrogen, made some test flights (the first on September 14), but never carried passengers. Another project, LZ 131, designed to be even larger than Hindenburg and Graf Zeppelin II, never progressed beyond the production of some single skeleton rings. LZ 129 Hindenburg was a German zeppelin that was destroyed by fire while landing at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey on May 6, 1937. ... The Graf Zeppelin (LZ 130) was the last of the great Zeppelins built by the Zeppelin Luftschiffbau during the period between the World Wars. ... is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The career of Graf Zeppelin II was not over. She was assigned to the Luftwaffe and performed about 30 test flights prior to the start of World War II. Most of those test flights were carried out near the Polish border, first in the Sudeten mountains region of Silesia and later in the Baltic Sea region. During one flight LZ 130 crossed the Polish border near Hel Peninsula, where she was intercepted by a Polish Lublin R-XIII from Puck naval airbase and forced to leave Polish airspace. During this time, LZ 130 was used as an electronic scouting vehicle and was equipped with various telemetric equipment. From May to August 1939, she performed flights near the coastline of Great Britain in an attempt to determine whether the 100 meter towers erected from Portsmouth to Scapa Flow were used for aircraft radio localization. Tests included photography, radio wave interception, magnetic analysis and radio frequency analysis but were unable to detect operational British Chain Home radar due to the searching in the wrong frequency range - the frequencies searched were too high, an assumption based on the Germans' own radar systems. The (incorrect) conclusion was the British towers were not connected to radar operations, but formed a network of naval radio communication and rescue. The Deutsche Luftwaffe or   (German: air force, IPA: ) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... A view from Zygmuntówka refuge, Góry Sowie Åšnieżka/Sněžka/Snow Mountain Destroyed forest on the top of Wielka Sowa The Sudetes (IPA: ), also called Sudeten (in German; pronounced: ) or Sudety (pronounced in Czech, in Polish), is a mountain range in Central Europe. ... For other uses, see Baltic (disambiguation). ... Hel Peninsula as seen from Landsat satellite in 2000 Kitesurfing, Hel Peninsula Hel Peninsula (Polish Mierzeja Helska, Kashubian Hélskô Sztremlëzna, German Halbinsel Hela) is a 35-km-long sand bar peninsula in northern Poland separating the Bay of Puck from the open Baltic Sea. ... The Lublin R-XIII was the Polish observation, close reconnaissance and army cooperation plane, designed in the early-1930s in the Plage i Laśkiewicz factory in Lublin. ... Puck (pronounce: [puʦk], Kashubian/Pomeranian: Pùck; see historical name of the town), is a town on the south coasts of the Baltic Sea (Bay of Puck) in Eastern Pomerania region, north-western Poland with 11,350 inhabitants. ... For other places with the same name, see Portsmouth (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Gutter Sound be merged into this article or section. ... Marconi tower at sunset. ... For other uses, see Radar (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Radar (disambiguation). ...

After the German invasion of Poland started the Second World War on 1 September, the Luftwaffe ordered LZ 127 and LZ 130 moved to a large Zeppelin hangar in Frankfurt, where the skeleton of LZ 131 was also located. In March 1940 Göring ordered the destruction of the remaining vessels and the aluminum fed into the Nazi war industry. In May a fire broke out in the Zeppelin facility which destroyed most of the remaining parts. The rest of the parts and materials were soon scrapped with almost no trace of the German 'giants of the air' remaining by the end of the year. For the Soviet Unions military action against Poland under the same alliance, see Soviet invasion of Poland (1939). ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Frankfurt (disambiguation). ... Aluminum is a soft and lightweight metal with a dull silvery appearance, due to a thin layer of oxidation that forms quickly when it is exposed to air. ...

Non-German Rigid Airships

Main article: Airship

U.S. Navy Zeppelin ZRS-5 "USS Macon" over Moffett Field in 1933

Airships using the Zeppelin construction method are sometimes referred to as zeppelins even if they had no connection to the Zeppelin business. Several airships of this kind were built in the USA and Britain in the 1920s and 1930s, mostly imitating original Zeppelin design derived from crashed or captured German World War I airships. USS Akron (ZRS-4) in flight, November 2, 1931 An airship or dirigible is a buoyant lighter-than-air aircraft that can be steered and propelled through the air. ... USS Macon (ZRS-5) This U.S. Navy zeppelin was built in the United States by the Goodyear-Zeppelin company in 1933. ... USS Macon (ZRS-5) This U.S. Navy zeppelin was built in the United States by the Goodyear-Zeppelin company in 1933. ... USS Macon (ZRS-5) was a rigid frame airship built and operated by the United States Navy for scouting. ...

The British R33 and R34, for example, were near identical copies of the German L-33, which crashed virtually intact in Yorkshire on September 24, 1916. Despite being almost three years out of date by the time they were launched in 1919, these sister ships were two of the most successful in British service. On July 2, 1919, R34 began the first return crossing of the Atlantic by aircraft. She landed at Mineola, Long Island on July 6, 1919 after 108 hours in the air. The return crossing commenced on July 8 because of concerns about mooring the ship in the open, and took 75 hours. Impressed, Britain began to contemplate a fleet of airships as links to far-flung colonies, but unfortunately post-war economic conditions lead to most airships being scrapped and trained personnel dispersed, until R-100 and R-101 commenced construction in 1929. For the NYC Subway car, see R33 (New York City Subway car) The R33 was a British airship that served for 10 years and survived a gale. ... The R34 was a British airship built by Beardmore in Inchinnan, Renfrew making its first flight on the 14 March 1919. ... is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... The R34 was a British airship built by Beardmore in Inchinnan, Renfrew making its first flight on the 14 March 1919. ... Atlantic and North Atlantic redirect here. ... Flying machine redirects here. ... is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... ... The R101 Airship was a newly-built British airship that crashed on October 5, 1930 in France with 48 casualties. ...

Another example was the first American-built rigid dirigible ZR-1 USS Shenandoah, which flew in 1923, while USS Los Angeles (ZR-3) was under construction. The ship was christened on August 20 in Lakehurst, New Jersey and was the first to be inflated with helium, which was still so rare at the time Shenandoah contained most of the world's reserves; when Los Angeles was delivered, she was at first filled with helium borrowed from ZR-1. Other airships were the USS Akron (ZRS-4) and the USS Macon (ZRS-5). ZR-1 at the mooring mast The USS Shenandoah was the first of four United States Navy rigid airships. ... The USS Los Angeles flying over southern Manhattan The USS Los Angeles was an airship, designated ZR-3, that was built in 1923-1924 by the Zeppelin factory in Friedrichshafen, Germany, where it was originally designated LZ-126. ... is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Lakehurst is a borough located in Ocean County, New Jersey. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... USS Akron (ZRS-4) was a rigid helium-filled airship of the United States Navy that crashed off the New Jersey coast early on April 4, 1933, killing 73 passengers and crew. ... USS Macon (ZRS-5) was a rigid frame airship built and operated by the United States Navy for scouting. ...

Recent Developments

Economically, it was surprising that even in the 1930s, Zeppelins could compete with other means of transatlantic transport. Their advantage was the ability to carry significantly more passengers than other contemporary aircraft, while providing conveniences like the luxury of ship voyages. Less importantly, the technology was potentially more energy-efficient than heavier-than-air designs. On the other hand, operating the giants was quite involved, especially in terms of personnel. Often the crew would outnumber passengers on board, and on the ground large teams were necessary to assist starting and landing. Also, to accommodate Zeppelins like Hindenburg (which was more than five times as long as the statue of liberty was high without the pedestal), vast hangars were required at airports. In today's times of large, fast and more cost-efficient fixed-wing aircraft, it is unknown whether huge airships can operate profitably in regular passenger transport, though as energy costs rise, attention is once again returning to these lighter than air vessels as a potentially more viable alternative. At the very least, the idea of comparatively slow, "majestic" cruising at relatively low altitudes and in comfortable atmosphere certainly has retained some appeal. There have been some niches for airships in and after World War II, such as long-duration observations, antisubmarine patrol, platforms for TV camera crews, and advertising; these, however, generally require only small and flexible craft, and have thus generally been better fitted to cheaper blimps. Airplane and Aeroplane redirect here. ... Anti-submarine warfare is a term referring to warfare directed against submarines. ... // Advert redirects here. ... “Blimp” redirects here. ...

Heavy Lifting

It has periodically been suggested Zeppelins could be employed for cargo transport, especially delivering extremely heavy loads to areas with poor infrastructure. One recent enterprise of this sort was the Cargolifter project, in which a hybrid (thus not entirely Zeppelin-type) airship even larger than Hindenburg was envisioned. Around 2000, this idea had become reality, when the CargoLifter AG constructed the world's largest cantilever shop hall measuring 360 meters long, 210 meters wide and 107 meters high some 60 km south of Berlin. In May 2002 the ambitious project ran out of money and the listed company had to file bankruptcy. Although no rigid airships are currently used for heavy lifting, hybrid airships are being developed for such purposes. For a book on one company attempting this development see The Deltoid Pumpkin Seed by John McPhee. Exterior view of hangar built for Cargolifter. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... Notice of closure stuck on the door of a computer store the day after its parent company, Granville Technology Group Ltd, declared bankruptcy (strictly, put into administration—see text) in the United Kingdom. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

Passenger Transport

A small company in Germany is currently examining the possibility of building a cruise airship, currently referred to as the Zeppelin ET (for Euro Tour), able to carry passengers on week-long cruises at comfort levels and prices comparable to those of luxury sea cruises of similar duration. However, although this airship bears the name "Zeppelin", it is not a rigid but a semi-rigid airship (despite the fact that zeppelin has become almost a synonym to rigid airship). The project is still in its early stages and nothing practical has resulted as of 2004^{[citation needed]}.

A "Zeppelin NT" airship

In the 1990s, the successor of the original Zeppelin company in Friedrichshafen, the Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH, reengaged in airship construction. The first experimental craft (later christened Friedrichshafen) of the type Zeppelin NT flew in September 1997. Though larger than common blimps, the Neue Technologie (new technology) Zeppelins are much smaller than their giant ancestors and not actually Zeppelin-type in the classical sense, but only sophisticated semi-rigids. Apart from the greater payload, their main advantages compared to blimps are higher speed and excellent maneuverability. Meanwhile, the Zeppelin NT is produced in series and operated profitably in joyrides, research flights and similar applications. Download high resolution version (888x552, 29 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Download high resolution version (888x552, 29 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... A flying Zeppelin NT Zeppelin NT (Neue Technologie, German for new technology) is an airship type that has been manufactured since the 1990s by the German company Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH (ZLT) in Friedrichshafen. ... Friedrichshafen is a town on the northern side of Lake Constance (Bodensee) in southern Germany, near the borders with Switzerland and Austria. ... A flying Zeppelin NT Zeppelin NT (Neue Technologie, German for new technology) is an airship type that has been manufactured since the 1990s by the German company Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH (ZLT) in Friedrichshafen. ...

In June 2004, a Zeppelin NT was sold for the first time to a Japanese company, Nippon Airship Corporation, for tourism and advertising mainly around Tokyo. It was also given a role at the 2005 Expo in Aichi. The aircraft began a flight from Friedrichshafen to Japan, stopping at Geneva, Paris, Rotterdam, Munich, Berlin, Stockholm and other European cities to carry passengers on short legs of the flight. However, Russian authorities denied overflight permission so the airship had to be dismantled and shipped to Japan rather than recreating the historic Graf Zeppelin flight from Germany to Japan. For other uses, see Tokyo (disambiguation). ... A part of the Global Loop at Expo 2005 Expo with the Corporate Pavilions in the background Wonder Circus, the Electric Power Pavilion Expo 2005 was the Worlds Fair held in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, east of the city of Nagoya. ... Aichi can refer to: Aichi Prefecture Aichi Steel Corporation This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... For other uses, see Geneva (disambiguation). ... This article is about the capital of France. ... Nickname: Motto: Sterker door strijd (Stronger through Struggle) Location of Rotterdam Coordinates: , Country Province Government  - Mayor Ivo Opstelten  - Aldermen Jeannette Baljeu Hamit Karakus Orhan Kaya Lucas Bolsius Jantine Kriens Dominic Schrijer Roelf de Boer Leonard Geluk Area [1]  - Total 319 km² (123. ... For other uses, see Munich (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Stockholm (disambiguation). ...

Use in Exploration

In November 2005, De Beers, a famous diamond-mining company, launched an airship exploration program over the remote Kalahari desert. A Zeppelin, loaded with high-tech equipment, is used to find potential diamond mines by scanning the local geography for low-density rock formations — so-called kimberlite pipes. On the 21st of September 2007, the airship was severely damaged by a whirlwind while in Botswana. One crew member, who was on watch aboard the moored craft was slightly injured and released after overnight observation in hospital. De Beers, founded in South Africa by Cecil Rhodes, comprises companies involved in rough diamond exploration, diamond mining and diamond trading. ... Kalahari redirects here. ... Hewn kimberlite core sample from the James Bay Lowlands region of Northern Ontario, Canada. ...

Cultural Influences

The history of Zeppelins is of particular interest to stamp collectors. Many nations issued high-denomination Zeppelin stamps, intended for franking of Zeppelin mail. Among the rarest of Zeppelin covers are those carried during the fateful flight of the Hindenburg. An airship museum is planned to open in Suffolk, England.^{[citation needed]} A selection of Hong Kong postage stamps A postage stamp is evidence of pre-paying a fee for postal services. ... Franking is also the passing of franking credits to shareholders in countries that have dividend imputation to reduce or eliminate double taxation of company profits. ... Cover sent from Chemnitz, Germany to Sausalito, California on the first North American flight of the Hindenburg, 6-9 May 1936. ... Suffolk (pronounced ) is a large historic and modern non-metropolitan county in East Anglia, England. ...

Zeppelins have been an inspiration to music, cinematography and literature. In 1934, the calypsonian, Attilla the Hun recorded "Graf Zeppelin", commemorating the airship's visit to Trinidad while on its way from Rio de Janeiro to Chicago for the World Fair. In cinematography, Zeppelins have been depicted several times, including Zeppelin (UK, 1971) a German Zeppelin mission movie in World War I, Darling Lili (US, 1970), The Hindenburg (US, 1975) a disaster film of the ill-fated last trip of LZ 129, and a short appearance in the films The Assassination Bureau (UK 1968), James Bond - A View to a Kill (UK/US, 1985), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (US 1989), The Rocketeer (US 1991), Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (US 2004), A Very Long Engagement (France 2004) and Flyboys (USA 2007). Zeppelins have also served as an inspiration to the Crimson Skies computer/video game series where the airship is re-imagined as an integral segment of international commerce. Also in Max Brooks Novel, World War Z (An Oral History of the Zombie War) The United states uses advanced command and control Zeppelins (flying command post) to over see military operation in white zones (areas that have not been completely pacified). Airships also make appearances in some fantasy worlds, usually in the form of small regular ship lifted to the air by a huge balloon. In the RPG-Series Final Fantasy, there is some kind of airship in every game. In the MMORPG World Of Warcraft, you can board Zeppelins from and to certain cities, usually for long distances, like crossing an ocean or an entire continent. This article is about the Brazilian city. ... For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ... Zeppelin is a 1971 British action drama film starred by Michael York and Elke Sommer. ... Darling Lili is a 1970 American musical film. ... The Hindenburg (1975) is a movie based on the disaster of the German airship Hindenburg. ... With the release of The Poseidon Adventure (1972), the Disaster film officially became a movie-going craze. ... The Assassination Bureau is a tongue-in-cheek film made in 1969 based on an unfinished book, by Jack London. ... A View to a Kill is a 1985 spy film. ... Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a 1989 adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliott, Julian Glover, Alison Doody, River Phoenix, and John Rhys-Davies. ... Rocketeer Adventure Magazine #1 (1988), Comico Comics. ... Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is a film released on September 17, 2004 in the United States. ... A Very Long Engagement (Un long dimanche de fiançailles) is a novel by Sebastien Japrisot, first published in 1993. ... This article is about the 2006 film. ... Crimson Skies logo. ... World War Z (abbreviated WWZ) is a novel by Max Brooks which chronicles the fictional titular Zombie World War. It is a follow-up to his previous book, The Zombie Survival Guide. ... For other uses, see Fantasy (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Final Fantasy franchise. ... An image from World of Warcraft, one of the largest commercial MMORPGs as of 2004, based on active subscriptions. ... World of Warcraft (commonly abbreviated as WoW) is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Blizzard Entertainment and is the fourth game in the Warcraft series, excluding expansion packs and the cancelled Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans. ...

It is often believed that this is how Led Zeppelin got their name. For the bands 1969 eponymous debut album, see Led Zeppelin (album). ...

The steampunk genre of science fiction has adopted the zeppelin as something of a mascot. They are representative of general steampunk themes with their grand scale, Victorian aesthetics, and failure to be put into common use. (See the Captain Bastable trilogy: The Warlord of the Air, The Land Leviathan, and The Steel Tsar by Michael Moorcock). For the comic book, see Steampunk (comics). ... The Warlord of the Air is a 1971 British alternate history science fiction novel written by Michael Moorcock. ... Michael John Moorcock (born December 18, 1939, in London, England) is a prolific English writer primarily of science fiction and fantasy who has also published a number of literary novels. ...

See Also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Zeppelin

• History of zeppelin development
• Diesel engines in zeppelins
• List of Zeppelins
• List of airships of the United States Navy
• Schütte-Lanz
• Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen
• Airship hangar

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... This is a complete list of Zeppelins constructed by the original German Zeppelin companies from 1900 until 1938. ... This is a list of airships of the United States Navy, listed both by hull number and by name. ... Schütte-Lanz is the name of a type of rigid airship designed and built for the first time in 1909 which was a successful early competitor of the more famous airships built by Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin. ... Rear view of the Zeppelin Museum. ...

References and external articles

Notes and citations

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

General information

• Guillaume de Syon (2001). Zeppelin!: Germany and the Airship, 1900–1939. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0801867347. 

Further reading

• Rich Archbold and Ken Marshall, Hindenburg, an Illustrated History, 1994 ISBN 0-446-51784-4
• William F. Althoff, USS Los Angeles: The Navy's Venerable Airship and Aviation Technology , 2003, ISBN 1-57488-620-7
• Peter Brooks, Zeppelin: Rigid Airships 1893-1940 , 2004, ISBN 0-85177-845-3
• Manfred Griehl and Joachim Dressel, Zeppelin! The German Airship Story, 1990 ISBN 1-85409-045-3
• Ces Mowthorpe, Battlebags: British Airships of the First World War, 1995 ISBN 0-905778-13-8
• McPhee, John, The Deltoid Pumpkin Seed, 1992 ISBN 978-0374516352
• Ian Castle, London 1914-17 - The Zeppelin Menace, ISBN 978-184603-245-5

Patents

• U.S. Patent 621,195 , Navigable balloon. (ed., Ferdinand von Zeppelin's patent)
• U.S. Patent 1,217,657 , Method of destroying aircraft, Filed Apr 11, 1916
• U.S. Patent 1,449,721 , Light weight girder. Filed Jun 28, 1920.
• U.S. Patent 1,474,517 , Filed Aug 19, 1922; Issue date: Nov 20, 1923.
• U.S. Patent 1,724,009 , Rigid airship with separate gas cells. Filed Nov 27, 1922; Issued Aug 1929. (ed., Hugo Eckener's patent)

Websites

• Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH — The original company, now developing the Zeppelin NT
• Airshipventures.com — Bringing Zeppelin NT airships to the USA
• zeppelintours.com — Zeppelin airship flights
• Zeppelin Exhibition — An online exhibition about zeppelins by Post & Tele Museum, Denmark

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