Great Photos here of that now over 75yrs ago tragedy!
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2012/....isaster/100292/
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2012/....isaster/100292/
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Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.
75 Years Since The Hindenburg Disaster
- Thread starter beana51
- Start date
Thanks Beana for the heads up!
What a beautiful and amazing ship she was. Too bad she had such an ending...
I wonder what airship airliners might be like today, being able to hover over an Island in the pacific, flying over the Alps or Rocky Mountains, etc. Just a Los Angeles to New York run, slowly over the countryside might be a cool seller for people out for a joy ride.
Bill
What a beautiful and amazing ship she was. Too bad she had such an ending...
I wonder what airship airliners might be like today, being able to hover over an Island in the pacific, flying over the Alps or Rocky Mountains, etc. Just a Los Angeles to New York run, slowly over the countryside might be a cool seller for people out for a joy ride.
Bill
Yes of Course a beautiful and successful Air Ship...with the obvious fatal flaw...HYDROGEN!...its explained this way.......
"Helium was initially selected for the lifting gas because it was the safest to use in airships, as it is not flammable.[SUP][/SUP] At the time, however, helium was also relatively rare and extremely expensive as the gas was only available as a byproduct of mined natural gas reserves found in the United States. Hydrogen, by comparison, could be cheaply produced by any industrialized nation and being lighter than helium also provided more lift. Because of its expense and rarity, American rigid airships using helium were forced to conserve the gas at all costs and this hampered their operation.[SUP][/SUP]
Despite a U.S. ban on the export of helium under the Helium Control Act of 1927, the Germans designed the airship to use the far safer gas in the belief that they could convince the US government to license its export. When the designers learned that the National Munitions Control Board would refuse to lift the export ban, they were forced to re-engineer the Hindenburg to use hydrogen for lift.[SUP][/SUP] Despite the danger of using flammable hydrogen, no alternative gases that could provide sufficient lift could be produced in adequate quantities. One beneficial side effect of employing hydrogen was that more passenger cabins could be added. The Germans' long history of flying hydrogen-filled passenger airships without a single injury or fatality engendered a widely held belief they had mastered the safe use of hydrogen. The Hindenburg's first season performance appeared to demonstrate this."
Explanition for cause here is great detective work!
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt... diaster hindenburg&fr2=sb-top&fr=yfp-t-701
"Helium was initially selected for the lifting gas because it was the safest to use in airships, as it is not flammable.[SUP][/SUP] At the time, however, helium was also relatively rare and extremely expensive as the gas was only available as a byproduct of mined natural gas reserves found in the United States. Hydrogen, by comparison, could be cheaply produced by any industrialized nation and being lighter than helium also provided more lift. Because of its expense and rarity, American rigid airships using helium were forced to conserve the gas at all costs and this hampered their operation.[SUP][/SUP]
Despite a U.S. ban on the export of helium under the Helium Control Act of 1927, the Germans designed the airship to use the far safer gas in the belief that they could convince the US government to license its export. When the designers learned that the National Munitions Control Board would refuse to lift the export ban, they were forced to re-engineer the Hindenburg to use hydrogen for lift.[SUP][/SUP] Despite the danger of using flammable hydrogen, no alternative gases that could provide sufficient lift could be produced in adequate quantities. One beneficial side effect of employing hydrogen was that more passenger cabins could be added. The Germans' long history of flying hydrogen-filled passenger airships without a single injury or fatality engendered a widely held belief they had mastered the safe use of hydrogen. The Hindenburg's first season performance appeared to demonstrate this."
Explanition for cause here is great detective work!
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt... diaster hindenburg&fr2=sb-top&fr=yfp-t-701
Jagdflieger
Jr. Admin
Hindenburg
My father, as a teenager, saw the Hindenburg fly over his home once.
As an aside, I watched the movie "The Hindenburg" staring George C. Scott, a few months ago. Not sure about the veracity of the movie, but it's good entertainment with some nicely done special effects aerial shots of the behemoth.
My father, as a teenager, saw the Hindenburg fly over his home once.
As an aside, I watched the movie "The Hindenburg" staring George C. Scott, a few months ago. Not sure about the veracity of the movie, but it's good entertainment with some nicely done special effects aerial shots of the behemoth.