◆ SpookStack

6 ~~ Lakeburet at 10 pm. E. 8. T. that night. Because of unfavorable winds encountered en route, its arrival at Lakehurst was deferred until 6 p. m., Thursday evening, and departure was to be postponed until midnight or later in order to reservice and prepare for the return voyage. Gwnership and Operation The ship was owned and operated by the Deutsche Zeppelin Keederet, G. mm. b. H., of Berlin, W. §, under den Linden, Germany. The flight, which Was to have been one of a series to be made into United States territorysdur- ing 1937, was authorized by a- provi- sional air navigation permit from the Secretary of Commerce, and a revo- eable permit issued by the Secretary of the Navy to the American Zeppelin Transport, Inc., of 354 Fourth Avenue, New York City, as general United States agent of the Deutsche Zeppelin Reederei, G. m. b. H., for the use of the landing fleld and facilities at the naval air station at Lakehurst. Certificate of Airworthiness In March 1937 the German Govetument renewed the airworthiness certification of the sircraft, reporting that all of irs safety devices had been inapected and found satis- factory. Crew According to the crew Iist (mee appendix I} furnisbed by the American pelin Transport, Inc., the personnel en board. including officers, numbered 61, of whom 22 died as a result of the accident. ‘Passengers The passenger list (see appendix IT), like- wise furnished, shows that 36 persona be- tides the crew were on board. Of theae, 13 died as a result of the accident. Other pas- senfera and members of the crew sustained serious Injuries. Gooda Carried Total weight of the freight carried was 325 pounds, The freleht was stowed Jn the main freight compartment at frame 125; 2 dogs were kennheled at frame 92. and 3 ackages were stowed in the control car. ail wae carried in a_ compartment on top of the control car. Of the freight and maf] only a few pieces of mail were re- covered, Groand Crew and Facilities The ground personnel enncisted of 92 naval personnel and 129 civilians. Prac- teally all of the ground erew had previous experience in landing airships. One mem- ber of the ground crew died as a result of burns received during the accident. Flight Across the Atlantic Across the Atlantic from Germany to the United States, the Sight had been unevent- ful, nave for retarding winds which were not unonseally tirbilent, The route trav- AIR COMME...¢ BULLETIN A 23 ersed by the ship on this side of the ocean was from Nova Scotia, via Boston, Provi- dence, Lo lslard Sound, New York, and thence to kehurst. After passing over Lakeborst the first time, it proceeded to cruise along the coast for a few hours before retracing its course from Tuckerton, MN. J to the naval air station.“ Part II.—The Airship Design and Construction ¥he airahip was placed in service early tn 1936. It bore builder's number LZ 12% and hed been constructed by the Luft Sehifbau Zeppelin of Friedrichshafen, Ger- many, an organisntlon which had previouuly built 118 Zeppelin-type airships. Briefly described, this type of design provides for a framework of durulumin metal girders with tension wires. There ig division by frame wirings of the body into different compart: ments, into whieh the gas buge are placed to recelve the lifting gaa; a keel walkway toa take certain loads; a framework with on outer cover of fabric to give form, and en- gine cars suspendcd from the frame outside the ship. The Hindenburg was a Zeppelin- type airship, having an axial ¢eorrigor con- structed longitudinally through the center ef the bull. 3936 Record During ita @ montha of operation in 1930, this airship bad made more than 55 fighta; flown 2,764 hours, cruised 191,583 miles, crossed the ocean 34 times. carrie] 2,708 passengers and more than 377,000 pounds of mail and freight, all without mishap. Dimension Capacities, Other Charactcristics Ita length was about 803.8 fect: height, 147 feet: maximum diameter, 135 feet; fineness ratio (length over diameter}, about G; total sg volume, 7,063,000 cubic feet; normal volume, 6,716,000 cubic fect. Weigh! of ship with necessary equipment and fuel was 430,950 pounds; maximum. fuel cAjac- ity, 143,650 pounds; total pay lead. 41,990 pounds, ana total life (under standard con- itions} was 472.940 pounds. Its rated cruising speed wis about 75 state miles per hour; its maximum speed was alightiy over &4 miles per hour. Passenger apace was entirely within the hull. Controls The control system was the conventional Zeppelin-type control, with two ruddezs act- ing ap @ unit for horizontal control, and two elevators acting Hkewise for verticn] contro!. Emergency elevator and rudder-control wheels were installed in the stern of the ship, An electrical gyroscopic device at- tached to the forward rudder wheel pre- vided automatic steering. Outer Cover The outer cover consisted of cotton fabric on certain parte of the frame; on others, linen, depending upon stresses to which it was exposed. The exterior surface of such fabric was treated with sereral coate of cellon and a mixture containing aluminum powder, As protection against ultraviolet Tays, the inner surface of the fabric on the upper part of the sbip was coated with red pain Gas Cells In each of the 16 compartments of the ship was a gas cell containing the lifung gas, hydrogen. The middle cells were sep- arate, whereas the two bow and the two