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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 0648.PDF
MARCH 12, 1936. FLIGHT. THE NEW ZEPPELIN THINGS have been moving quickly at Friedrichshafen. Since the description of the new German airship was published in Flight last week, the L.Z.129 has made two flights, the first, of three hours' duration, on March 4, and a second, of more than eight hours, on March 5. The flights are held to have been highly satisfactory, and on March 4 all German broadcasting stations sent ; out a record of a running commen tary of the launching and tests during the airship's first trial flight. Captain Lehmann, representing Dr. Eckener at the microphone, said the trials were more than satis factory, having exceeded the expectations of the designers in several ways. The only anxiety, or rather slight uncertainty, which they had, Capt. Lehmann said, related to the controll ability of the airship. Although extensive tests had, of course, been made in the wind tunnel, actual full-scale flying trials were necessary before the correctness of the The complexity of the Zeppelin structure is well shown by this view of the star board horizontal fin before covering. Transverse members can be seen running right through the main structure. Corres ponding vertical members complete a cruciform structure within the hull. Part II : Some Semi- Technical Aspects : The First Test Flights : Alter native Fuel Gas System : Features oj the Metal Structure calculations and the confirmation of model tests were available. Capt. Lehmann expressed himself par ticularly pleased with the controll ability of the airship. The L.Z.129 has a fineness ratio (ratio of length to diameter) of 6, which is less than that of the Graf Zeppelin, and it was doubtless this fact to which Capt. Lehmann was referring when he said that the only slight un certainty related to controllability and stability. In a general way, a long and slender shape is likely to be more stable and less sensitive to the controls than a short, " fat " shape, and it would seem that Capt. Lehmann's remarks indicate in the disposition of the tail surfaces a good com promise between stability and controllability. Other features of the new airship which were examined during the first flights were the smoothness of the Mer cedes-Benz Diesel engines, their effectiveness in stopping the airship when they were reversed, and the proper functioning of the wireless equipment. • q • : 4^* JW W r»iMt "5? i\r ^ ... *> x t
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