Zeppelins - They will rise again - Will they?

[Scotty2]

I am a geat fan of Zeppelins / Airships and have read quite a lot about the rise and fall as well as having seen some great documentaries with some fantastic footage.

Just imagine something the size of an ocean liner flying majestically over your head cruising over the countryside. The footage of the giants of the air always make me wish they were still about. The fact that the Hindenburg disaster was filmed at the time of growing newsreel popularity probably made it more of a "shock" to the public than just newspaper reports adding to the fear of the giants of the sky.

Some of the technology evolving was fascinating such as the flying aircraft carriers, use of blaugas, condensers, and of course flying around the world!

So Cargolifter failed, Aircat not progressing, but surely something must come of the efficient lifting and endurance of the type of craft?

I've seen the sheds at Cardington and can imagine the sight it must have been in the 1920s. "Slide Rule" by Nevil Shute is a great insight into how the beasts were hampered by overambition, interference and underdevelopment but the R100 showed great promise.

Any one got input/views on the future ?

Scotty2


p.s.
I visited Freidrichshafen and the Zeppelin Museum is fantastic.
I also took my family on a Zeppelin trip on the "NT" which was just amazing - made me want to be part of it - a pilot or investor or just an entheusiast.

Pics and stories welcome.......

[Engineer1]

There has been a proposal to use Airships for heavy lift cargo.

[Magog]

Here's a picture of a Zeppelin in Feltham of all places, the location used to be the flying club of Royal Dutch Shell, it's still a park, but the airfield was closed when Heathrow was opened. The large house at the bottom of the picture was the clubhouse, it's still there but derelict. The place must have been quite fantastic in it's heyday. It's only just of the A316, a bit before the start/end of the M3, well worth a quick detour if your going that way

[The Black Flash]

Magnificent things. Would love to have seen one in their heyday.

[TheEnd]

I remember hearing stories of 2 WW1 pilots sent to intercept a German Zeppelin near Birmingham, then both received heavy damage and had to abandon or force land.
German records didn't have anything of the encounter, so it's more likely they either crashed into one another, or shot each other down.

[thatone1967]

Magog said:

Here's a picture of a Zeppelin in Feltham of all places, the location used to be the flying club of Royal Dutch Shell, it's still a park, but the airfield was closed when Heathrow was opened. The large house at the bottom of the picture was the clubhouse, it's still there but derelict. The place must have been quite fantastic in it's heyday. It's only just of the A316, a bit before the start/end of the M3, well worth a quick detour if your going that way

It's actually Hanworth which is pretty much next door to Feltham.. area was always referred to as the Hanworth Airpark when I was a kid anyway.

[Simpo Two]

TheEnd said:

I remember hearing stories of 2 WW1 pilots sent to intercept a German Zeppelin near Birmingham, then both received heavy damage and had to abandon or force land.
German records didn't have anything of the encounter, so it's more likely they either crashed into one another, or shot each other down.

You'll enjoy 'The Zeppelin Fighters' by Arch Whitehouse, a good account of the battle against Zeppelins in WW1: www.abebooks.co.uk/search/sortby/3/an/Arch+Whiteho...

[AnotherClarkey]

I guess you must have read this already but I can't recommend 'Dr. Eckeners Dream Machine' by Douglas Botting highly enough.

Will we see them again? I don't think so but they were fantastic in their (short) heyday. Can you imagine how cool it would have been to dock on the top of the Empire State building after a transatlantic flight? Such a shame they never got that sorted.

[Mojocvh]

Magog said:

Here's a picture of a Zeppelin in Feltham of all places, the location used to be the flying club of Royal Dutch Shell, it's still a park, but the airfield was closed when Heathrow was opened. The large house at the bottom of the picture was the clubhouse, it's still there but derelict. The place must have been quite fantastic in it's heyday. It's only just of the A316, a bit before the start/end of the M3, well worth a quick detour if your going that way

That is a fantastic piece of aviation history "the glory days" indeed.

Thanks for posting.

Mo.

[dilbert]

If the oil runs out, they'll be back, big time.

[Simpo Two]

dilbert said:

If the oil runs out, they'll be back, big time.

I'm not sure what uses more oil per passenger mile, a jet at 600mph with 400 passengers, or an airship at 80mph with 50 passengers.

[dr_gn]

Boeing are currently developing (at least) one. This is from Frontiers Magazine:

http://www.boeing.com/news/frontiers/archive/2009/...

[dilbert]

Simpo Two said:

dilbert said:

If the oil runs out, they'll be back, big time.

I'm not sure what uses more oil per passenger mile, a jet at 600mph with 400 passengers, or an airship at 80mph with 50 passengers.

The thing is that a Zeppelin can run on coal....
(figuratively)

Edited by dilbert on Friday 11th June 22:52

[Simpo Two]

Coal-powered airships - how very Jules Verne!

[aeropilot]

Magog said:

Here's a picture of a Zeppelin in Feltham of all places, the location used to be the flying club of Royal Dutch Shell, it's still a park, but the airfield was closed when Heathrow was opened. The large house at the bottom of the picture was the clubhouse, it's still there but derelict. The place must have been quite fantastic in it's heyday. It's only just of the A316, a bit before the start/end of the M3, well worth a quick detour if your going that way

Good friends of mine live adjacent to Hanworth Airparks and their house is actually in that picture.

[Eric Mc]

Simpo Two said:

Coal-powered airships - how very Jules Verne!

And Zeppelin (which still builds airships) has been trying one with a battery of solar cells on the top of the envelope.

[Hugo a Gogo]

they are very expensive these days, what with inflation....

[FourWheelDrift]

Magog said:

Here's a picture of a Zeppelin in Feltham of all places, the location used to be the flying club of Royal Dutch Shell, it's still a park, but the airfield was closed when Heathrow was opened. The large house at the bottom of the picture was the clubhouse, it's still there but derelict. The place must have been quite fantastic in it's heyday. It's only just of the A316, a bit before the start/end of the M3, well worth a quick detour if your going that way

Google maps has that building tagged as Feltham Rugby Club.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&a...

I'm sure that's wrong though.

[AnotherClarkey]

Simpo Two said:

Coal-powered airships - how very Jules Verne!

Coal gas is basically what the Graf Zeppelin used - worked out better than using liquid fuel because it was easier to adjust the lift/ballast as it was consumed.

[Simpo Two]

I think I've got it - you mean methane for power, hydrogen (now helium of course) for lift?