Zeppelin “LZ-77” Army Airship, 1915.

It was thought then that Zeppelin had built his last airship. He had employed all his own personal resources in that venture, and though the rigid had performed remarkably, even his closest friends could see nothing but failure in further attempts to establish the new science. But they were wrong. Zeppelin had been more successful than he realized. His persistent efforts had continuously improved the rigid type. Each flight was better and more efficient than the ones preceding it. All this had been noted by the people. When it was learned that Count Zeppelin had no funds with which to continue, a popular subscription campaign was started in various sections, with the result that within a few weeks 6,000,000 marks (approximately $1,500,000) had been contributed and turned over to Zeppelin for him to use as he saw fit in carrying on his experiments. Here indeed was recognition. For the money had come from persons of high and low degree, from huts and palaces. The Zeppelin fund was truly representative of the people. It made the shops and hangar on Lake Constance a popular institution. For the first time in his life the inventor found his airship enterprise on a firm financial basis. With this foundation he was able to increase his shop and laboratory facilities and make important changes in his organization. Instead of being forced to produce something for demonstration flights alone, he was able to concentrate on practical development. His personnel was ably qualified for the new work. Many of his assistants had been with him since the beginning. His progress had been theirs in the new science of lighter-than-air engineering. Many of these men are still with the Zeppelin organization which retains the original name created by the popular support of the German people.

The Beginning of the Zeppelin Organization

With the 6,000,000 marks presented to him Count Zeppelin founded the “Zeppelinstiftung zur Foerderung der Luftfahrt” (Zeppelin Endowment for the Propagation of Air Navigation). This organization is the exclusive shareholder of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin (the constructing company), and through this controls the many subsidiary companies, each one producing essential parts of the Zeppelin so that the entire organization is practically independent of outside sources. The various organizations have been added to and developed at intervals since the Zeppelin Endowment was created in 1908. They are not only concerned with producing airships and all their parts but with developing airplanes, seaplanes and power plants, with the special machinery so important to the success of the new aircraft which Zeppelin continuously produced and which proved superior to other products, due in no small part to the splendid organization developed by means of the popular fund, the profits from which under the terms by which Count Zeppelin accepted it, must continuously be thrown back into the treasury “to be used exclusively for the propagation and development of air navigation.”

When Count Zeppelin died in 1917 his assistants were placed under obligations to carry on the work and administer the Zeppelin Endowment according to the original terms which do not limit its activities to national boundaries, but encourage the development of aerial navigation throughout the world.

Early Development and Flights

Commencing in 1908 Zeppelin devoted his energies to perfecting aircraft. There were many epoch making achievements, not only the record flights and increasing efficiency and performance tests but continuous discoveries and inventions no less important and significant because they were for the time being accomplished within the walls of laboratory and factory. They constitute one of the most remarkable chapters in this age of mechanics and engineering, and are worthy of further explanation later on.

One of the first flights, under the new organization, was that of the new Zeppelin Z-1, April 1st, 1909, from Lake Constance to Munich. Before it could land at Munich a heavy southwest wind pushed it back from the field over which it hovered. The Commander decided to “weather the storm” in the air; and for the first time in the history of aerial navigation the airship remained aloft, her nose against the wind, her motors turning over just enough to keep her in the same spot. Eleven hours later the Z-1 was still up but shortly afterward signalled that she was being forced to land because her fuel supply was becoming exhausted. Soldiers detailed for the purpose assisted in mooring her fast in a field near Loiching, where guarded by hundreds she lay all night in the storm, unharmed, though repeatedly assailed by squalls which often swept against her with 40 miles per hour (18 meters per second) velocity. The next day she went up and hopped over to Munich and received a wildly enthusiastic greeting from the thousands who had followed her adventure with personal pride and interest. The Z-1 spent four hours flying over Munich and then turned on her heels and back to her harbor at Friedrichshafen. If there was anything necessary to silence the few critics who still entertained doubts as to the ultimate practicability of rigid airships, that flight of the Z-1 accomplished the purpose.

Count Zeppelin meanwhile was rebuilding his “Echterdingen” airship and on May 29th, 1909, he took it out of Manzell toward the north of Germany. He kept on until he reached Bitterfeld before turning back toward Lake Constance. After 38 hours in the air during which he had traversed 683.5 miles (1100 kilometers) he landed at Göppingen for gasoline. In landing the ship struck a tree but the damage was quickly repaired and the rigid was able to return under its own power to the air harbor on Lake Constance.

Hailed as National Hero

After a thorough overhauling Count Zeppelin flew the same