At the moment, The "Future of Zeppelins" page has only information on the Zeppelin Company's NT 7. Though there are new companies that are considering building large rigid and semirigid air ships, the only ones that have been constructed have been by Zeppelin. I do have faith that more and more companies will get into the LTA field, but many a venture has gone bankrupt or simply faded away in this realm and so, for now, I'll stick to the company that is actually building.
Zeppelin has completed the first NT or "New Tech" Zeppelin out of a projected production run of ten. The first has been sold to Switzerland for sight seeing tours and the following nine have been pre-purchased by other interests within Germany and abroad, but all within Europe. Hopefully, what this boom will do is open the doors for a move back to the really big ships. The NT is very nice and state-of-the-art but carries few passengers and for short duration flights. It is, however, a very important step in regaining the hearts of the public. If you mention the word "zeppelin" to most people, they immediately think of the Hindenburg going up in flames over Lakehurst (yes, or that band). That must change, and the NT is the first step in regaining the sense of awe and pleasure that people have when they see these majestic ships of the sky.
The NT is a a departure for the Zeppelin Company on several points. First with the ship being as small as it is will carry a small payload for a relatively short distance. Second, it is a semirigid, not a full rigid. The shape of the outer envelope is maintained by both air pressure and frame structure. This will allow the ship to cruise at faster speeds than a standard blimp and also permits mounting points for the engines directly on the upper structure, thus making them closer to the best thrust line for the ship. Another innovation for Zeppelin are the vectorable props including one mounted directly on the extreme aft of the ship allowing precise attitude adjustment. The triple stabilizer arrangement allows for better ground clearance and the lessens the likelihood of crushing one in a handling mishap. The port and starboard props are tractor type (pulling, not pusher) which ironically, is the same as their last design, the LZ-130, Graf Zeppelin II.
Finding information on the NT 7 in the States is difficult at best, so my friend Thomas Künzl, over in Germany has been kind enough to mail me some stuff from a few German publications on the topic. (Thanks a lot Thomas! I really appreciate it!) I relied on my good friend Hans Mundahl for the translations (Thank you again, Hans). If any one else has any articles from foreign sources that you think might be good, please let me know.
Title:
The new Zeppelin: Soon to start on maiden voyageArticle: At the moment it is still hanging from the anchoring mast. But as early as the end of August Germany's newest Zeppelin will take its maiden voyage continuing a long tradition of German airships. The "Zeppelin NT" (new technology) is 75 meters long. 8000 cubic meters of helium (non flammable) provide the lift and three motors with rotating propellers provide the thrust. In the gondola under the envelope there is room for 12 passengers. The construction took two years. The Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik company has already received orders for five more - at the price of 12.5 million Marks each (approx. 7 million US$ at current exchange rate [1998]-Hans.)
Article: The airship LZ N07 which should continue the proud tradition of Zeppelins has left the factory after two years of construction time, but it hasn't left the ground yet. The impatiently waiting friends of airship travel have been able to enjoy the ship for several days at the parking lot of the Friedrichshafen Convention Center. There it hangs from a movable anchor mast where it occasionally starts its motors to prove to the test engineers that it is fully functional. The 40 million (approx. 22 million US$ -Hans) Mark project of the Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH is considerably late. The up and coming Zeppelin won't fly the few kilometers to the Friedrichshafen airport for the real flight tests scheduled to begin in September until the electronic control of the steering mechanisms and the rotatable propellers are sufficiently tested. The 75 meter long (approx. 230' -Hans) Zeppelin NT (New Technology) is a rigid airship which uses a triangular Toblerone shaped support system made of fiberglass instead of the older ring shaped aluminum construction. It is carried aloft by 8000 cubic meters of helium. The next Zeppelins are already being constructed at the airport for their five waiting customers. The giant construction building has already become a new symbol of the Bodensee and just celebrated its "Richtfest" (a celebration for new buildings when they are nearing completion -Hans) In the gondolla of the new Zeppelin 12 passengers can comfortably fly through the air. This kind of enjoyment was also offered by earlier Zeppelins such as the "Schwaben," "Sachsen," and "Victoria Luise" as early as during the Kaiser's reign.
All this is rather amazing when you consider how history repeats its self. The original ships created and built by Count Von Zeppelin were used for just this purpose in the the beginning of this century and as we near the end of it, the Zeppelin has emerged again into the light of day as a viable form of travel. As we move into the future I can only hope that the mighty airship will again claim its rightful place in the skies and awe us with its mighty presence. Airships are still the most luxurious way to fly and as people becomes more and more fed-up with uncomfortable, noisy, jet travel and crammed airports I think that travel by Zeppelin will become more and more attractive. See you in the sky. -Matt