Page 59 - All About History - Issue 38-16

The Weird World of Airships

Airships, Six US blimps lie
blimps and dormant in a colossal
hangar during WWII
Zeppelins,
oh my!

Airship
An airship is a
steerable, powered
aircraft in ated by
lighter-than-air gases.
Dirigible
A synonym of airship,
the name comes not
from its rigid frame but
rather the French word
diriger or ‘to steer’.
Blimp
A blimp is an airship
that has no rigid
structure and
maintains its shape
from the pressure of
the in ating gas.
Rigid airship
These craft maintain
their shape not
through the pressure
of the lifting gas but by
a rigid framework that
surrounds the gas cells
or bags.
Zeppelins
A Zeppelin is a rigid
In an ominous twist of airship built by the
fate, the Hindenburg Aeroscraft’s prototype was
was constructed out of Zeppelin Company destroyed when the roof of
the wreck of the R101 founded by Count its hanger collapsed
Zeppelin.
1937 1939 1945 End of an era
The Hindenburg World War II The destruction of the Hindenburg was the

Disaster The demand for the use of airships in World death knell for commercial airship production
War II was still high. It would be the Americans,
both in German and internationally. With plane
Aware of the propaganda value of airships however, not the Germans, that would fully utilise technology allowing for much faster travel times
to showcase Germany’s new strength, the them. Hermann Goering, the head of Germany’s and cargo capacity, the demand for airships both
Nazis pumped millions into the industry air force, was famously distrustful of airships, and before and after World War II plummeted. While
to produce their most infamous vessel, the owing to aluminium shortages, had the majority still used in a very limited capacity in advertising
Hindenburg. On 3 May 1937, the Hindenburg of Germany’s fleet melted down in 1940. and military applications, these craft have all but
left Frankfurt on what would become its The US Navy, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, flown from the public mind.
final flight. Coasting leisurely across Europe realised that it simply did not have the ships or However, renewed interest could see an airship
and the Atlantic, it arrived over the glittering aircraft to defend more than 19,000 kilometres of renaissance. In 1997, the Zeppelin Company
skyscrapers of New York on 6 May. The US coastline, and so turned to airships for help. re-emerged, producing its first new model in 50
landing had been delayed due to poor The US would utilise airships fully in the conflict years with the Zeppelin NT 07 making its maiden
conditions and it was attempted again in a and tasked them with small but important roles, flight. Another company, Aeroscraft, was recently
small window of calm at Lakehurst, New such as minesweeping, photo reconnaissance, given a large grant by the US government to
Jersey. Just after 7pm, the ship caught fire and search and rescue, and anti-submarine patrols. produce the next generation of airships. Apart
was ripped apart in an explosion that lasted Their top-down view enabled them to spot tell- from tourist and advertising applications, airships
just 30 seconds. Of the 61 people on board, tale signs of enemy submarines better than a ship are ideal for research and environmental missions
36 lives, both civilian and crew, were lost. on the surface and could radio co-ordinates for due to their low vibrations and ability to haul
The cause of the disaster stumped experts. battleships to intercept. Over four years of war, cargo to inaccessible locations that might not be
The captain maintained that it must have only one ship was lost to enemy fire when a K•74 served by a road, port or runway.
been sabotage while other theories included was brought down by a German U-boat. The ship
lightning or the natural phenomenon of St gave as good as it got and damaged the U-boat so
Elmo’s fire. Now scientists believe that it was much that it could no longer submerge and was © Alamy, DK Images
a single spark that caused the catastrophe. soon sunk by bombers. –

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