this post was submitted on 20 May 2024
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Anon wants to ride a zeppelin (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 48 points 5 months ago (3 children)

It wasn't just one zeppelin. The US Navy experimented with airship aircraft carriers and both of them were lost in stormy weather. They're giant bags of gas, which means that turbulent air is a big problem.

The Empire State building had a airship mooring point at the top, but the constant updrafts meant the airship would be pointing nose-down while unloading.

They're just too unwieldy in all but the most calm conditions that there's not much use for them beyond writing "Ice Cube is a pimp" in the sky.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 5 months ago

It wasn’t just one zeppelin.

It's more the case that back then, nearly every airship ever made ended up crashing in bad weather. Nowadays they're sort of safe since we have much more powerful engines and weather services that can help them avoid the rough stuff, but even then they still can't lift very useful loads.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

Sounds like anti-zeppelin propaganda to me.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Looking at what happened to every Zeppelin that Ferdinand von Zeppelin built you start to get a good picture on why it's maybe not the best idea. I got to hand it to him though, dudes got dedication.

LZ1: damaged during initial flight, repaired and flown two more times before investors backed out causing the ship to be sold for scrap.

LZ2: suffered double engine failure and crashed into a mountain. While anchored to the mountain awaiting repairs a storm destroyed it beyond repair.

LZ3: built from salvaged parts of LZ2. Severally damaged in storm. After LZ4's destruction LZ3 was repaired and was accepted by the German military who eventually scrapped it.

LZ4: suffered from chronic engine failure. While repairing the engines a gust of wind blew the ship free of its mooring and struck a tree causing the ship to ignite and burn to the ground.

LZ5: destroyed in a storm.

LZ6: destroyed in its hanger by fire.

LZ7: destroyed after crashing in a thunderstorm.

LZ8: destroyed by wind.

LZ9: this one actually worked and survived for three years before being decommissioned.

LZ10: caught on fire and destroyed after a gust of wind blew its mooring line into itself.

LZ11: destroyed while attempting to move the ship into it's hanger

LZ12 & LZ13: both flew successful careers before being decommissioned a few years later.

LZ14: destroyed in a thunderstorm.

LZ15: destroyed during an emergency landing.

LZ16: was stolen by the French.

LZ17: decommissioned after the war.

LZ18: exploded during its test flight.

LZ19: damaged beyond repair during an emergency landing.

LZ129: the Hindenburg.

LZ127: retired and scrapped after flying over a million miles.

LZ130: flew 30 flights before being dismantled for parts to aid in the war effort.