ATLANTIC RECORD

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 190, 8 May 1937, Page 11

ATLANTIC RECORD

Flight of HindenburgLast Year WONDERS OF AIRSHIP All Amenities of Hotel Life Tlie Zeppelin Hindenburg landed at Lakehurst, New Jersey, just three days under a year ago after an uneventful but record voyage of nearly 4500 miles from Friedrichshafen. Germany, in 611 hours. The record was previously held by the United States dirigible Los Angeles, which took 81 hours. The Graf Zeppelin's time was 95 hours. The Hindenburg was nearly twice the size of her predecessor, the Graf Zeppelin, and took four years to build. Iler trials proved so satisfactory that at the end of the same month she set out on her maiden South Atlantic voyage from Friedrichshafen to Brazil, and from there to New Yark, to complete an entirely successful experimental flight. The service then developed into fortnightly crossings. The Hindenburg was the first airship designed specifically with the view of making commercial ocean flights. According to her builders’ figures, she was 812 ft. in length, some 200 ft. shorter than the Queen Mary: her height was 135 ft.; gas volume, 6.009,000 cubic feet: lifting power, 210 tons: cruising speed. ■SO.6 miles an hour. She was propelled by four Mercedes-Benz Diesel motors which developed a total of 4400 horsepower. Her frame was most elaborate and made entirely of aluminium alloy, as were most of her fittings, even chairs and a piano. Strong Fabric. The fabric over the airship was said to be the strongest of its kind in existence, and this allowed it to be stretched to almost terrific tension over the curved supports. There was a floor space of 4306 square feet inside the vessel and sleeping accommodation for 72 people. In addition to quarters for a crew of 48. provision was also made for an extra 30 passengers. One of the wonders of the Hindenburg was the luxurious nature of her interior fittings. All the amenities of hotel life were included and every cabin was fitted with hot and cold water, a wardrobe, snug bunk and a shower-bath. Even more elaborate was the furniture and the lounge, and perhaps the most remarkable innovation of all was a smokeroom. Her observation windows were of special design and afforded almost unrestricted vision. The Hindenburg was divided into two decks, the upper one comprising a large room on either side subdivided into lounge and reading-room, and dining-room and observatory. The smokeroo.ni was on the lower deck, completely isolated from other compartments, which were the chartrom, officers’ mess, all-electric kitchen and storerooms. Aluminium Alloy Floors. The cabins were situated on the upper deck and all the floors were of aluminium alloy, l-16in. thick. The quarters of the crew were well aft of the passengers’ section. One cabin was allotted to each two of the crew, and they had their own dining-room and kitchen, which adjoined a roomy compartment for luggage. Throughout she was equipped with air-conditioning apparatus. When built, the airship was known as LZ —129 and was later named the Hindenburg. After leaving America, her west-to-east crossing taking 48hr. 17min., two of the four engines gave trouble over the Mediterranean. In spite of that, however, she reached Friedrichshafen only one hour behind her scheduled time. Because of this trouble she sent a wireless message for permission to fly over France, and this was granted. On her outward flight permission had been refused. It was stated that on her maiden voyage the Hindenburg was not out to create records, and she chose a course nearly 400 miles longer than was, perhaps necessary. On her fourth commercial flight to the United States she made the outward crossing in a little over 50 hours and the return flight iu •Ishr. 39min. In August, .1936, the airship made the round-trip in live days. Notable Crossings. One of the most notable airship Atlantic crossings was made in October, 1928, by the Graf Zeppelin, which covered nearly 6300 miles and remained aloft for 112 hours. The return flight was made over a direct North Atlantic course in 69 hours.

On the Hindenburg’s first crossing she carried 36 passengers (including seven women) and a crew of 40 and more than five tons of freight.