German Airship Projects

[Jemiba]

After WW I Schütte-Lanz, led by Prof. Schütte tried to get into the civil airship business by designing
Trans-Atlantic airships. SL 101 "Atlantic" would have had a volume of 95,000 cbm, whereas SL 102
"Panamerica" would have been considerble bigger with 205,000 cbm.
Apart from the wartime airships, which had a wooden framework, these ships should have had a
framework made from aluminium tubing.
Another project was the "Polarluftschiff" (Polar Airship) , especially designed for the exploration of the
polar regions. It had a volume of 150,000 cbm and was fitted with enclosed observation stations on the
hull and in the stern. (Information and drawings from M.Griehl "Deutsche Luftschiffe")

 

[Jemiba]

Another designer of rigid airships for transatlantic flights was Ludwig Rösler during the '20s.
His "Schnellluftschiff" (fast airship) L Rö 1 should be fitted with a propulsion system using
"Saugkreisel" (suction gyroscopes) in the nose, kind of turbine system. The compressed air
would be ejected through a nozzle in the tail, the system should be powered by several piston
engines. Intended for flying at a height of 12 to 15 km, a two-storey pressurized cabin for 200
passengers was envisaged. Length would have been 375m, volume 150,000 cbm.
(Information and drawings from M.Griehl "Deutsche Luftschiffe")

 

[Wurger]

Great contribution, Jens.

Anything on Parseval or Zeppelin?

 

[Jemiba]

Anything on Parseval or Zeppelin?

Sorry, no !
The book is just a general overview, dealing with actually built examples for its biggest parts. But I was
somewhat surprised about the number of airschips from other constructors, than the well known Zeppelin,
Schütte-Lanz or Parseval.
The only other project I'V found is the "Brinkmann Luftschiff", designed by Otto Brinkmann during the '30s.
Externally similar to the late Parseval airships, the long gondola, directly attached to the envelope made it
a semi-rigid construction. Length was 97.0 m, volume 21,000 cbm, propulsion by 3 Jumo L5G, later 3 Jumo 5
engines. Construction was actually planned, but due to some bad loans, the constructor was condemned for
fraud. Sounding just too familiar ...

 

[Jemiba]

Had still yet missed this one, which is more on the weird side:
The "Luftwurm" (Air-Worm), designed by Theodor Zorn. Three segments, the middle one
semi-rigid were coupled and (probably) covered with a common envelope. Driven by one
engine in each of the outer and two in the middle segment, this airship could be controlled
from each of the outer parts. Construction was started in 1910, but stopped, as the planned
low weight couldn't be achieved.

 

[Jemiba]

Unger Stahlluftschiff

Browsed again through "Luftschiffe, die nie gebaut wurden" (Airships, that were never built) today,
we already had some nuclear powered projects here http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,6303.msg145537.html#msg145537
but there are several German projects, too:
For example the "Unger Stahlluftschiff", designed by Gustav Unger, who already started the development of his own design in 1908.
Contrary to Zeppelin, his airships should use blossom shaped frames made from steelstrips and framework made of steel tubing.
Development was started, but actual construction came to nought due to the lack of financial resources. Nevertheless, as late as
1929, two designs were published. A "small" one with a volume of 227,000 cbm. a length of 342 m and a diameter of 39 m and a
"large one with 300,000 cbm, a length of 325 m and diameter of 46 m.

 

[Jemiba]

Zeppelin 12-engined Passenger Airship (LZ 125)

The Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH was developing a 100,000 cbm passenger airship still in 1919, because
an order by the US government seemed very probable. This design was based on the last German navy
airships and should have been powered by 12 engines, 8 single in smaller gondolas and 4 (2 +2) in two
larger ones. Special emphasize was put on placing the gondolas as near to the centerline, as possible, to
ease bringing the airship into and out of the hangar. Planned designation was LZ 125, length would have
been 236 m, diameter 29,85 m. Appearance would have been quite similar to the shown design for a
60,000 cbm airship with ten engines.
(from "Luftschiffe, die nie gebaut wurden" (Airships, that were never built), Zeppelinmuseum Friedrichshafen)

 

[Jemiba]

Schütte-Lanz Reconnaissance Airship for the US Navy

The Schütte-Lanz company was still busy after WW I, too. After the failure of his wooden framed airships during
the war, Professor Schütte switched to aluminium frames, too. As he didn't succeed selling his deisgns in Germany,
he went to the US to find investors and, above all, orders. In 1928 he proposed to the US Navy a large airship for

reconnaissance duties. A very clean looking design with the ability to carry aircraft, it was doomed, when the tender
by the USN demanded "an already proven and succesful type of construction". So the winner was the Goodyear-
Zeppelin Corporation, Schüttes designs remained paper tigers.

(from "Luftschiffe, die nie gebaut wurden" (Airships, that were never built), Zeppelinmuseum Friedrichshafen)

 

[Jemiba]

Von Wagner/Radinger Collapsible Rigid Airship

In 1909 two experienced shipbuilding engineers, Dr, Wagner, working for the Vulcan shipyard in Stettin
and Dr. Von Daringer from the Howaldtwerke shipyard, Kiel proposed a collapsible rigid airship. The aim
was to combine the possibility to fit several airbags and better attachement of engines and control surfaces,
of the rigid airship, with the easy stowage and fast disassembly of the blimp. For the framework composite
materials made from paper, fabric and metal wires should be used. The hollow spaces in these components
should be filled with gas, too. The airship was made up of several "drumshaped cages, which could be folded
like umbrellas after releasing some cables. The airship shown on the drawing looks surprisingly modern, but
after 1912 no traces of this project can be found.
(from "Luftschiffe, die nie gebaut wurden" (Airships, that were never built), Zeppelinmuseum Friedrichshafen)

 

[Wurger]

Great stuff! Anything more on airship-aircraft carriers other than the Schütte proposal?

 

[Jemiba]

There's a Goodyear project for an aircraft carrying rigid, a direct predecessor of the Akron/Macon
and a Goodyear advertisment showing a heavily armed, aircraft carrying airship, but the latter one
probably is more a notional drawing. I'll look for a suitable thread, or, if there isn't one, I'll start
a new one.

 

[Wurger]

Great!!!Looking forward to it.

 

[A Tentative Fleet Plan]

The Library of Congress has a low quality image of the Control car and passenger quarters of LZ 125.

It looks like the design was the 100,000 cubic meter Fast Commercial Zeppelin. The below image of that particular design and it's Control Car and Passenger Quarters are from Zeppelin: The Story of a great Achievement by Harry Vissering.

Also attached is an image of the 100,000 cubic metre passenger Zeppelin designed around the same date, described earlier in the thread.

 

[A Tentative Fleet Plan]

From the same source as above, a 50,000 cubic metre passenger zeppelin, a 60,000 cubic metre zeppelin, and an 135,000 cubic zeppelin and it's combined control car and passenger gondola. Unfortunately I don't have any details of the designs.

 

[World B4]

I haven't seen any pictures of the S.L. 23 and 24, the Shutte-Lanz airships that rivaled the X class, built but not commissioned. They weren't true sisters, the second had a good deal more volume and thus payload.

 

[World B4]

With a volume of 1,700 cubic meters, the Parseval Pl 10 "Sportsluftschiff" (which I'm hoping against hope means it's some kind of racing blimp) only flew once in 1910 before being dismantled.

 

[Jemiba]

All I could find, stems from "Die deutsche Luftfahrt, Band 26, Leichter als Luft-Ballone und Luftschiffe":



( PL 10 (1700 m³). With this small airship, too, construction started in 1910, the LFG intended to participate in the
competition for small airships at the Brussels World's Fair. Since the competition did not happen, PL 10 was dismantled and the hull was later used for other purposes. Like PL 5 and PL 9, PL PL 10 also had elevators)

 

[World B4]

LFG intended to participate in the
competition for small airships at the Brussels World's Fair. Since the competition did not happen, PL 10 was dismantled and the hull was later used for other purposes.

Tragic that we didn't get the timeline of flame decals on hydrogen filled racing balloons.

 

[World B4]

Getty Images

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The Parseval Pl-26 and Pl-27 were Parseval's last and largest class of semirigid military airship. Pl-26 burned on her maiden flight in 1915, and by 1917 when Pl-27 was ready, it no longer met military requirements so did not enter service. Which I don't really understand, considering the multiple events when the rigid airship fleet was reduced by a significant percent. Wouldn't you rather look for sea mines with an existing semirigid 4 engine craft than a massive, expensive, somewhat experimental high altitude optimized intercontinental range strategic airframe? Strasser's choices were interesting. She was converted to passenger service in 1919. I would love to see a depiction (hoping for technical but won't complain about artistic) of their original military configuration.

 

[Jemiba]

From Paul Schmalenbach "Die_Deutschen_Marineluftschiffe"