Graf Zeppelin

[xenith]

Graf Zeppelin over Friedrichshafen, where it was built.

Probably the most successful of the German airships, the Graf Zeppelin operated a passenger service between 1928 and 1937. In 1920 it circumnavigating the globe in 3 week, including the first non-stop flight over the Pacific.

In this time between wars, the battle between airships and airplanes over who would dominate passenger services still hadn't been decided. The zeppelins were slow, but could carry passengers further, and in luxury that the small, noisy planes couldn't match.

Comments

Airships

[edsed.livejournal.com]

I got to see "The Golden compass" yesterday. Your postcard reminded me I liked the airship scene in GC...but wasn't sure about the observation room in the nose of the balloon...though looking at your postcard, it seems to have a similar observation lounge (?) I always thought the passengers sat (in luxury) in cars slung underneath the balloon??? (I should really learn more about these babies, shouldn't I?)

bests

Edsed

Re: Airships

[monissaw.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen Golden Compass.

You're right though. Passengers generally travelled in the gondola underneath, although I seem to recall some of them moved the passenger spaces into the "balloon" part but I can't find any mention of that.

You can't see the gondola very well in this view (it's sort of sticking down at the front). There's a better photo at the top of http://www.oldbeacon.com/beacon/airships/grafzep.htm (lots of good photos on the page) and you can see window at the "nose" but I don't how accessible they'd be to passengers.

This is a photo of obsevation windows on the Hindenburg, but that's inside the gondola http://www.garemaritime.com/item.php?id=636

Just for completeness, some interior plans of GZ http://balduin.wordpress.com/2006/10/22/graf-zeppelin-lz-127-plans/