Part 2 (1/2)

Which made the still unbroken World's Record Non-Stop Flight of 4225 miles from Jambol in Bulgaria to just west of Khartum in Africa and back to Jambol, carrying 14 tons of freight in 95 hours, November, 1917.

Zeppelin ”L-59” Engine. Telegraphs and Navigators Desk.

Zeppelin ”L-59” Elevator Rudders Control Stand and Alt.i.tude Navigation Instruments.]

When Count Zeppelin died in 1917 his a.s.sistants were placed under obligations to carry on the work and administer the Zeppelin Endowment according to the original terms which do not limit its activities to national boundaries, but encourage the development of aerial navigation throughout the world.

Early Development and Flights

Commencing in 1908 Zeppelin devoted his energies to perfecting aircraft.

There were many epoch making achievements, not only the record flights and increasing efficiency and performance tests but continuous discoveries and inventions no less important and significant because they were for the time being accomplished within the walls of laboratory and factory. They const.i.tute one of the most remarkable chapters in this age of mechanics and engineering, and are worthy of further explanation later on.

[PLATE 12: Route of the Zeppelin L-59]

One of the first flights, under the new organization, was that of the new Zeppelin Z-1, April 1st, 1909, from Lake Constance to Munich. Before it could land at Munich a heavy southwest wind pushed it back from the field over which it hovered. The Commander decided to ”weather the storm” in the air; and for the first time in the history of aerial navigation the airs.h.i.+p remained aloft, her nose against the wind, her motors turning over just enough to keep her in the same spot. Eleven hours later the Z-1 was still up but shortly afterward signalled that she was being forced to land because her fuel supply was becoming exhausted. Soldiers detailed for the purpose a.s.sisted in mooring her fast in a field near Loiching, where guarded by hundreds she lay all night in the storm, unharmed, though repeatedly a.s.sailed by squalls which often swept against her with 40 miles per hour (18 meters per second) velocity. The next day she went up and hopped over to Munich and received a wildly enthusiastic greeting from the thousands who had followed her adventure with personal pride and interest. The Z-1 spent four hours flying over Munich and then turned on her heels and back to her harbor at Friedrichshafen. If there was anything necessary to silence the few critics who still entertained doubts as to the ultimate practicability of rigid airs.h.i.+ps, that flight of the Z-1 accomplished the purpose.

Count Zeppelin meanwhile was rebuilding his ”Echterdingen” airs.h.i.+p and on May 29th, 1909, he took it out of Manzell toward the north of Germany. He kept on until he reached Bitterfeld before turning back toward Lake Constance. After 38 hours in the air during which he had traversed 683.5 miles (1100 kilometers) he landed at Goppingen for gasoline. In landing the s.h.i.+p struck a tree but the damage was quickly repaired and the rigid was able to return under its own power to the air harbor on Lake Constance.

Hailed as National Hero

After a thorough overhauling Count Zeppelin flew the same airs.h.i.+p to Berlin, at the express invitation of the Kaiser, who gave a dinner in his honor at the Royal Palace following an enthusiastic popular reception from the entire populace in the capital. On his return to Lake Constance he met severe storms and a broken propeller compelled a landing. It was found that a piece of the blade had penetrated one of the gas bags; and three days were required to repair the damage.

Finally, after 27 hours in the air, the s.h.i.+p once more rested in its home shed. It is said that this flight forever established Zeppelin in the confidence of the people and the Government. His s.h.i.+ps acquired the reputation of the builder in being able to surmount tremendous difficulties. The Zeppelin headquarters at Friedrichshafen became the German Mecca. But the Germans were not alone in their pilgrimage for thousands of persons interested in aeronautics journeyed to Lake Constance on the sh.o.r.es of which great plants had grown up on the land which Zeppelin had purchased for his wonder city of the air.

[PLATE 13: Zeppelin ”L-70” Naval Airs.h.i.+p, 1918. The fastest of the ”big ones” with a speed of 82 miles per hour.

Zeppelin ”L-71”. The Last Naval Airs.h.i.+p in Actual Service.

Leaving Friedrichshafen, 1918.]

In the fall of 1908 the members of the Reichstag and the Bundesrath came to Friedrichshafen, a hundred or more trusting themselves to the Zeppelin s.h.i.+p, the sole feature of the national celebration. Thousands of watercraft dotted the clear waters of the lake as the Zeppelin went up again and again filled to capacity with the leaders of German political, financial, and industrial life (Plate 4). Zeppelin was hailed as a national hero, and more, for it was generally recognized that his great vehicles possessing such speed and durability were world travelers and as such would do much toward bringing all parts of the world together and thereby eliminating national borders-as far as trade, travel, and commerce were concerned, at least.

The New Construction Plant

It was during the same year that Zeppelin abandoned the floating shed at Manzell, where all his s.h.i.+ps had been built. New work shops were located on sh.o.r.e near Friedrichshafen (Plate 4). Half of the original contribution went into the new construction plant which was incorporated as Luftschiffbau-Zeppelin, G.M.B.H. (the Zeppelin Airs.h.i.+p Building Co., Ltd.). Here the construction of the new Zeppelins was begun with augmented forces of engineers and workmen.

[PLATE 14: Zeppelin ”L-70” Naval Airs.h.i.+p Entering Largest Shed at Friedrichshafen. Winter of 1918.]

Naturally the first airs.h.i.+p was ordered by the Deutsche Luftschiffahrt A. G. (”DELAG”)-the German Airs.h.i.+p Transportation Company-which had a paid in capital of 3,000,000 marks ($714,000.00) subscribed by a number of public spirited men solely to start a Zeppelin pa.s.senger and mail service. It was planned to employ larger s.h.i.+ps than those with which Zeppelin had convinced the public, to secure greater lifting and carrying capacity. These s.h.i.+ps developed rapidly.

Military Value Proved by Commercial Operation

They attracted attention among the military authorities who had decided that the Zeppelins offered advantages over the existing types of observation aircraft, that they were in no way difficult to handle in the air or on the ground and, in fact, were better adapted to military purposes than others previously built. A deciding factor in favor of the Zeppelins was the ease with which they could be put into their sheds after each flight. The Government, accordingly, ordered three airs.h.i.+ps built and equipped for military service. Their performance was kept secret but they were accepted and obviously performed equally as well as their contemporary commercial craft.

There was the Zeppelin ”=Sachsen=” which flew to Vienna from Baden-Baden in less than eight hours. This commercial flight led the German army to buy three more military s.h.i.+ps of the ”=Sachsen=” type.

Activities Early in the War