NEW “ZEPP” TO CARRY 140

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 28 June 1935, Page 6

NEW “ZEPP” TO CARRY 140

GREATEST LINER OF THE SKIES. PATHOS OF DR EOKENER. (Our Owe Correspondent —By Air Mail) BERLIN, June 8. In the world’s biggest airship hangar, on the shores of Lake Constance, Germany, lies the half-completed, hulk of Germany’s . mightest Zeppelin, LZI29. A stone’s throw away in Friedrichshafen, a man lies desperately ill — n man whose one ambition is to be in command of the giant ship when she takes the air on her maiden flight later this year. He is Germany’s senior airship commander, the veteran Dr Hugo Eckener, now nearly 70 years old. He is suffering from serious internal trouble. He may never fly again. Fate may rob him of his life’s dream—to captain the greatest Zeppelin that has ever been seen in the sky. LZI29 is nearly 300 yards long. Her lour great gas-bags will contain nearly 7\ million cubic feet of hydrogen. She contains fifty cabins, with hot and cold water laid on. Four specially designed heavy-oil 1000 h.p. Diesel engines will carry her cruising across the South Atlantic at 80 m.p.h. with a non-stop range of about 7000 miles. Up to 100 passengers can be carried, with a crew of 40. Empty “129” weighs 100 tons. Fuel, passengers, mails and freight for South America wdl come to 95 tons or more.