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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 0651.PDF
Company will go far towards making the necessary arrange ments possible. Structural features, as already mentioned, resemble those of the Graf Zeppelin. There are a total of forty-eight transverse ring frames, of which every third is a braced main frame, the others being auxiliary frames without wire bracing. These transverse frames carry thirty-two longi tudinal girders spaced equidistant around the circumference of the ring frames. Each frame member is of the usual Zeppelin triangular section, but the corner booms are of "Omega'' section, as distinct from the open-channel sections so familiar in earlier Zeppelin construc tion. Bracing is, as before, in the form of high tensile sted wires running diagon ally in each bay formed by two ring frame sides and two longitudinal girder por tions, and the ring frames themselves are braced in their own plane by similar wires. As there is one gas bag between each pair of main ring frames, the total num ber of bags is sixteen. They are made of a special material developed by the Zeppelin Company, and gold-beater's skin, used in all earlier airships, is not employed. The outer covering or en velope is a cotton fabric, doped with cellulose dope. Each of the gas bags is, of course, provided with its own safety valve, and a diagram of the gas bags and their valve controls is mounted in the pilot's car, with numbering correspond ing to the control handles in the car. FLIGHT. MARCH 12, 1936. Looking along the keel cat-walk towards the nose. The central cat-walk can be seen overhead leading towards the nose. In the foreground is the cruciform internal struc ture for the tail fins. The gas bags, partly inflated in this photograph, are positioned by wire-meshing. Hydrogen is being used at present, but the bags may, if required, be replaced by " bi-gas " bags containing an inner bag of hydrogen surrounded by an outer one of helium. The heavy-oil fuel is carried in a large number of tanks arranged along both sides of the lower "cat-walk," from which they are readily accessible. A pipe line runs the entire length of the airship, and to this all the tanks are connected, as well as to the four engine units. Water ballast tanks are also arranged inside the hull at suitable points, and are provided with release valves operated from the control car to adjust the trim of the airship. A numbered diagram is used, as in the case of the gas bags, for identification of individual tanks and their connections, and indicators show at any moment the quantity in each tank, so that the captain is able to supervise the weight distribution. The usual array of pressure and temperature gauges is, ot course, provided, not to mention very complete naviga- (Above) : The when closed. retractable accommodation ladders are faired in by small flaps (Below) : The control car has a landing wheel with pneumatic shock-absorber. Note the D/F. loop aerial. tional and radio equipment, as well as a telephonic com munication system. The tail of the L.Z.129 is of semi-cantilever construc tion, the internal framework running through the hull transversely and vertically to form a cruciform structure of great strength and stiffness. Each fin surface is braced by a single wire on each side. The rudders and elevators have set-back hinges, the area in front of the hinge acting as an aerodynamic balance. Normally, the control surfaces are operated by servo motors, but should these break down it is passible for the helmsman to operate the control surface direct via cables. MAIN DATA : Length o.a : Max. height • Max. diameter : Max. gas capacity Tare weight... Max. fuel weight ... ... 50 passengers and supplies Mails and freight ... Total payload Gross weight Total horse power Max. speed Cruising speed • Range at cruising speed OF L.Z. 129. ... 248 m. (813.67 ft.) ... 44.7 m. (146.65 ft.) ... 41.2 m. (135.17ft.) • ... 200.000cu.m (7,002,951 cu. ft.) : ... 130 000 kg (286,601 lb.) 6-5 000 kg. (143,300 lb.) ... 7000 kg. (15,432lb.) • ... 12 000 kg (26,455 lb.) ... 19,000kg. (41,8871b.) ... 214 000 kg. (471,788lb.) ... 4,400 b.h.p. ... 135 km!h (83.9 m.p.h.) j ... 72.5 kmlh (77.7 m.p.h.) ... 14 000 km (8,700 miles)
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