tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}img"/>

Zeppelin “LZ-5” On an Excursion With Members of the German Parliament Aboard. Autumn 1908.

Zeppelin “LZ-6” and “Deutschland” in the First Double Shed at Friedrichshafen.

Zeppelin, in spite of many difficulties, succeeded in enlisting the necessary private capital and in 1898 organized a stock company (Aktiengesellschaft zur Foerderung der Motorluftschiffahrt) to promote motor airship flights. It had a paid in capital of one million marks ($238,000).

With his characteristic sound judgment and thoroughness of purpose, Count Zeppelin chose the Lake Constance (Bodensee) country for his initial efforts. He had known the lake and local weather conditions from boyhood and was convinced that the smooth ample surface of this beautiful lake offered the best facilities for the handling, starting and landing of these extremely large craft, though it was not long before enough had been learned to alight with them on land.

Now the giant Zeppelins can land at will with perfect safety on either land or water.

Today Lake Constance is recognized as the best place in the world for the training of airship personnel.

The eyes of the entire aeronautical world were focused on the floating airship shed (Plate 1), which Count Zeppelin built and anchored in a bay close to his workshops at Manzell, near Friedrichshafen. During the months that he was making the parts in the shop and assembling his ship in the shed, there was much speculation as to its appearance. It was generally thought by others who had experimented with aircraft that Zeppelin had some very laudable ideas, but as a rule persons were skeptical concerning his ability to produce a practical machine. Interest increased and when he announced that he would fly on July 2nd, 1900, all those interested in aeronautics, who could make the trip, came to Friedrichshafen and for several days before the flight delivered professional opinions predicting failure.

The First Zeppelin Flight

They solemnly averred that the airship would bend with the weight of the gondolas under its ends. They said if it bent, the engines and steering apparatus would not function. Further, they feared the ship would keel over in mid-air because, and they backed this assumption with figures and formulas based on their professional engineering knowledge and technique, as they pointed out, the center of gravity was too high. Then again the motors would surely explode the ship because the gondolas which held them were too close to the body. All expected Zeppelin to fail, and they were on hand as witnesses when first the big cigar shaped bag was floated out of its shed (Plate 1).

It was a huge thing in those days, 419.8 feet long (128 meters), with a diameter of 38.3 feet (11.7 meters). It was made up of an immense aluminum framework including 24 longitudinal girders running from nose to tail and drawn together at the ends. Joining the girders were 16 rings, (reinforced with diagonal wires), formed of transverse girders, which held the body together. On the bottom side of the body was fixed a bridge-like construction which strengthened the framework sideways and attached to it were two motor gondolas.

Over this vast framework Zeppelin had stretched an envelope of smooth cotton cloth, to lessen the friction through the air and to protect the gas bags from the direct rays of the sun. There were 16 single gas cells made of rubberized balloon cloth placed inside the framework. All were equipped with safety valves and several were provided with maneuvering valves. All together they contained 388,410 cubic feet (11,000 cubic meters) of hydrogen gas, which Zeppelin was confident would lift 24,450 pounds (12,000 kilograms).

Immediately after the ship had been floated from the hangar Zeppelin permitted it to rise off the pontoons on which it had rested and the first successful rigid airship flight was an accomplished fact. He nosed his craft up through the air, the two 16 horsepower motors sending it along slowly at 13.5 miles per hour (6 meters per second). Notwithstanding this low speed the craft responded to the controls and Zeppelin a few minutes later demonstrated that he could alight safely as well as take off.

The First Company Dissolved Through Lack of Funds

Zeppelin made three flights with his first airship, on the third making 17.8 miles per hour (8 meters per second) but the funds had become exhausted and overtures to the Government and industrial concerns failing, he dissolved the stock company and began anew his struggle for capital. Somehow or other people were not interested in aerial navigation. They were less willing to invest their resources in experimental machines. For five years Zeppelin labored tirelessly to make persons believe in his project. He personally traveled the length and breadth of the land endeavoring to show that this was an enterprise so stupendous in its possibilities and importance to the world that it should be substantially endorsed.

Assisted by the King of Wurttemberg

It was not until 1905 that King William of Wurttemberg having supplied the funds and an aluminum manufacturer having lent him sufficient material for another frame that Zeppelin, now 67 years old, was able to start work on his second rigid airship. He completed it that fall after working incessantly day and night, making important changes over the first design, strengthening and at the same time lightening the framework and adding considerably to the efficiency of the steering apparatus. Motors also had been developing during that period and he was able to find two 85 horsepower motors for his power plants.