LZ 126, the Los
Angeles
Built by the Zeppelin Company in 1922-23 for the U.S. Navy. The Los
Angeles was America's premiere big airship and at the time, the
largest ever built. She was also the only U.S. airship to survive
until her decommissioning, in 1932.
LZ 127, the Graf
Zeppelin
Arguably the most important zeppelin ever built, the Graf Zeppelin
proved what could be done with a properly run and maintained
zeppelin. The Graf Zeppelin was the ultimate in passenger air travel
for the day and could put any modern commercial jet to shame when it
comes to comfort and style. The Graf was first walked out of her
hanger on the 18th of September, 1928. She would fly farther than any
zeppelin before or since.
LZ 129, the
Hindenburg
Remembered for all the wrong reasons, this mighty airship made itself
famous far before its disastrous end. First flown in tests on March
4, 1936, the Hindenburg made its first flight on March 26 of the same
year. She would make several awe-inspiring flights before its
destruction at Lakehurst, New Jersey.
LZ 130, the Graf Zeppelin II
The last of a dying breed in difficult times, the most
forgotten of the zeppelins is the Graf Zeppelin II. Having been
completed near the outbreak of World War II, the Nazis twisted her
purpose into a darker one. Even though it included many modern
construction advances, the LZ 130 never gained much publicity and was
to be the last of the gigantic passenger dirigibles.
The first U.S. built, large scale, rigid airship. Built in 1922, it
was patterned after a WWI German design but with more bracing. The
Shenandoah has secured its place in history as the first airship
filled entirely with helium, versus the previously used, explosive,
hydrogen.
ZRS 4 & ZRS 5, the Akron
& Macon
A new idea and new methods. The Akron and Macon were two of the
world's most unique aircraft ever. The new dirigibles wouldn't just
act as spotters and ferries but as aerial aircraft carriers.
Through unfortunate circumstances and light construction, neither
airship had a very long life.
The British Ships
England has had a long and largely forgotten history of airships
and successfully built and flew them for many years. Most of the
early designs were based either partially or entirely on captured
German zeppelins but in 1924 the British cast off the designs of the
old German zeppelins to come up with two completely "British" ships.
The R 100 and R 101. The designs were remarkably new and experimental
and showed great promise.
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