– (Lasca Studio/)
The word “zeppelin” describes several airships developed by the company of the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin. He designed a series of models and the first, the LZ1, took off in 1900. But it was after the 1st World War that the Zeppelin became the greatest symbol of commercial aviation at the time.
The most successful model, the LZ 127, or Graf Zeppelin, which you see in this article, was used in 1928 and was in operation until 1937. During this period, it performed 590 flights. In Brazil, landings took place in Recife and Rio de Janeiro: a Berlin-Rio ticket cost US$590 (almost US$9,000 in current prices). The 1937 accident with the Hindenburg, one of the successors of the Graf Zeppelin, caused the replacement of hydrogen as fuel by helium, which is not flammable. But the Germans didn’t produce helium and would need to buy it from the US. With the beginning of the 2nd World War, the Zeppelins ended up being shelved and replaced by planes.
FORWARD IMPULSE
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There were two ways for the vehicle to be propelled: either letting itself be carried away by air currents (100-hour non-stop autonomy) or setting a direction using gasoline engines. There were five, of the 410 kW Maybach model. They ensured the safety of the aircraft for the need to move into the wind. But they had less autonomy: with gasoline, it was possible to travel for just 67 hours nonstop.
DOZENS OF BALLOONS
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An airship flies because of internal bags that can be filled (in the Graf’s case, with hydrogen gas) or emptied individually. When the 12 Graf bags were full, the aircraft gained altitude, reaching up to 600 m (although the flight altitude was 200 m). When emptying them, she approached the ground. The total volume of gas, with all cells filled, was 105,000 m3.
CONTROL CENTER
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The pilots and their assistants were in the control room, from where they had a good view of the course. They operated based on information provided by the map room and radio operators. The passengers also stayed in the gondola, who had lounges, bedrooms and bathrooms – the waste was accumulated in a compartment below the latrines and then released into the air.
READER QUESTION Masanori AL Ninomiya, Sao Paulo, SP
SOURCES Books The Great Airships of Count Zeppelinby Werner Behrends, and The Golden Age of the Great Passenger Airships: Graf Zeppelin and Hindenburgby Harold Dick and Douglas Robinson