The First Zeppelin Flight
Zeppelin “Deutschland” of the “DELAG”, 1910. The First Passenger Carrying Airship.
Zeppelin “Schwaben” Second Passenger Ship of the “DELAG”, 1911.
They solemnly averred that the airship would bend with the weight of the gondolas under its ends. They said if it bent, the engines and steering apparatus would not function. Further, they feared the ship would keel over in mid-air because, and they backed this assumption with figures and formulas based on their professional engineering knowledge and technique, as they pointed out, the center of gravity was too high. Then again the motors would surely explode the ship because the gondolas which held them were too close to the body. All expected Zeppelin to fail, and they were on hand as witnesses when first the big cigar shaped bag was floated out of its shed ([Plate 1]).
It was a huge thing in those days, 419.8 feet long (128 meters), with a diameter of 38.3 feet (11.7 meters). It was made up of an immense aluminum framework including 24 longitudinal girders running from nose to tail and drawn together at the ends. Joining the girders were 16 rings, (reinforced with diagonal wires), formed of transverse girders, which held the body together. On the bottom side of the body was fixed a bridge-like construction which strengthened the framework sideways and attached to it were two motor gondolas.
Over this vast framework Zeppelin had stretched an envelope of smooth cotton cloth, to lessen the friction through the air and to protect the gas bags from the direct rays of the sun. There were 16 single gas cells made of rubberized balloon cloth placed inside the framework. All were equipped with safety valves and several were provided with maneuvering valves. All together they contained 388,410 cubic feet (11,000 cubic meters) of hydrogen gas, which Zeppelin was confident would lift 24,450 pounds (12,000 kilograms).
Zeppelin “L-1”. The First Naval Airship, 1912.
Zeppelin “L-2”. The Second Naval Airship, 1913.
Immediately after the ship had been floated from the hangar Zeppelin permitted it to rise off the pontoons on which it had rested and the first successful rigid airship flight was an accomplished fact. He nosed his craft up through the air, the two 16 horsepower motors sending it along slowly at 13.5 miles per hour (6 meters per second). Notwithstanding this low speed the craft responded to the controls and Zeppelin a few minutes later demonstrated that he could alight safely as well as take off.