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Aviation History
1932
1932 - 0672.PDF
FLIGHT, JULY 8, 1932 VISIT OF THE "GRAF ZEPPELIN" TO ENGLAND ONCE more the German airship Graf Zeppelin has paid a most successful visit to England. Last Saturday morning the airship left her base at Friedrichshafen and arrived over Hanworth Air Park at 6 p.m., several English people being among her passengers. After circling the aerodrome the airship made off in the direction of Brooklands, where it was the inten tion to pay a salute to the Duke and Duchess of York. Later the airship returned to Hanworth and was moored in a very short time indeed. When the Graf Zeppelin first arrived over Hanworth it was accompanied by the huge Junkers " G.38," which has now been given the registration number D.2500 instead of the D.2000 which was the number of the first version of the machine. Incidentally, the " G.38 " is some thing of a tragedy. She was built some years ago as the nearest practical approach to Dr. Junkers' ideal " all- wing " aeroplane. It was found, however, that her passen ger accommodation was not very practical, and a second " storey " was added to her fuselage. The passenger accommodation is now much improved, but the machine is as far removed from the " all-wing " ideal as any other aeroplane. The manner in which Dr. Eckener and his officers and crew brought the airship into Hanworth caused the greatest admiration among those who know what airship handling means. No uncertainty, no hesitation, no mistake, how ever slight. With nose slightly down, the huge mass approached the ground, the bridles in the extreme nose were dropped and caught by some of the 200 or so Middle sex Rover Scouts, who, under the direction of Capt. Meager, formed the landing party. Next the side guy ropes were dropped and secured, and the nose of the airship was moored. Next the stern was dropped (by valving gas from the rear gasbags, one assumes) until the buffer on the rear engine car was in contact with the ground. The rest of the Scouts caught hold of the handrails on the cars, and the disembarkation of the passengers began. After a short stay to change passengers, the airship left Hanworth for a cruise around England, paying first a visit THE ESCORT : The Junkers G.38, with more powerful engines and a " storey " added to her fuselage, accom panied the " Graf Zeppelin." (FLIGHT Photo.) to the newly-opened Municipal aerodrome at Portsmouth, then returning towards London and, following the East Coast, making for Scotland. Edinburgh was reached in the early morning of Sunday, July 3, and the return flight to Hanworth was via Glasgow, Liverpool, Birmingham, Gloucester, Bristol, Cardiff, Weston-super-Mare. The Graf Zeppelin had made a tour of Great Britain in about 24 hours, and her passengers had greatly enjoyed the flight. After alighting at Hanworth, a number of passengers were taken on board for a short flight around London, and when they had been discharged the airship took on board her German passengers and set off for home. Friedrichshafen was reached safely and the airship put into her hangar. Dr. Eckener was full of praise for the way in which the Scouts did their work at Hanworth, and invited three to make the flight to Germany. One accepted the invitation, Mr. Roberts, the Secretary, and was on board the airship on her flight home to Germany. At Hanworth thousands of spectators saw the airship on both days, and the huge crowds behaved admirably, refraining from breaking out of the enclosures until the airship was safely moored. . THE BOWS SECURED : The " Graf Zeppelin " during mooring operations at Hanworth. (FLIGHT Photo.) 624
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