Zeppelins, only slightly larger than those actually flown during the last few months of the war, are capable of safely and quickly making a non-stop flight from Berlin to Chicago and from New York to Paris in 56 hours, carrying 100 passengers and in addition 12 tons of mail or express matter.
In November, 1917, the Zeppelin L-59 made a non-stop flight from Jambol, Bulgaria, to a point just west of Khartum in Africa and return to Jambol in 95 hours (4 days) covering a distance of 4225 miles and carrying more than 14 tons of freight besides a crew of 22, which performance remains a world’s record for all kinds of aircraft, airship or aeroplane.
In July, 1919, the British Rigid Airship R-34 (copy of the Zeppelin L-33 brought down in England) crossed the Atlantic in 103 hours and after being refueled at New York returned home in 75 hours.
Count Zeppelin, Doctor Eckener and Capt. Strasser (Chief of Naval Air Service). On the occasion of the last visit of the Count to the Airship Harbor at Nordholz.
Dr. Ing. Ludwig Dürr, Chief Engineer.
Who was associated with Count Zeppelin from the start.
The German Airship Transportation Company—DELAG—(a Zeppelin subsidiary) during a period of three years just before the war, 1911-14, carried 34,228 passengers without a single injury to either passengers or crews, and after the war, from August 24th to December 1st, 1919, by means of the improved Zeppelin “Bodensee” carried 2,380 passengers, 11,000 pounds of mail (440,000 letters), and 6,600 pounds of express matter, exclusive of crews, between Friedrichshafen (Swiss frontier) and Berlin under unfavorable weather and terminal conditions, besides a flight from Berlin to Stockholm and return.
The U. S. Government has concluded arrangements (June, 1922) with the Allied Powers whereby the U. S. Navy will receive a modern Zeppelin as a part of America’s share of the aerial reparations.
This new Zeppelin will embody the very latest improvements in airship design and will be delivered by being flown from Berlin across the Atlantic to the Navy’s Airship Harbor at Lakehurst, New Jersey. It will be built by Luftschiffbau-Zeppelin (Zeppelin Airship Building Co., Ltd.), at their Friedrichshafen Works and will be a 70,000 cubic meter (2,400,000 cu. ft.) gas capacity commercial type, as it is intended that it will be flown in the United States to demonstrate the safety and practicability of long distance airship-transport. It will be delivered by a Zeppelin crew. The arrival in the United States of this strictly modern Zeppelin will no doubt create a wonderful interest as the American people have never seen a real Zeppelin and it will give a great impetus to airship activities throughout the world.