Hindenburg 2016 page 4 by ric Gustafson
It was September 18 1928, and LZ 127 was being walked of it's hanger in Friedrichshafen. It was time for the first test flight for the largest airship ever built. Because of Count Zeppelin's 90th birthday, the airship was named Graf Zeppelin. That same year, the airship flew to New York. It was her seventh flight with twenty passengers on board. The giant airship was at 775 feet and had a new bridge area. A large gondola connected with passenger spaces. The airship could cruise at 73 miles per hour and reach a top speed of 80 miles per hour. It had a small dining area but doubled as a passenger lounge. There were ten two passenger cabins along a central corridor.
Captain Hugo Eckener was feeling pressure. As the airship passed south of the Azores, a huge storm came up. With the help of the wheelman, the airship came through it all right. The only major trouble was that some cotton fabric from the port stabilizer had torn away. As the airship kept flying, volunteers went onto the fin and repaired the fabric.
The airship reached Cape Charles Maryland and then flew long the Chesapeake Bay. It flew over Baltimore and Washington. It flew over the White House and then to Lakehurst. The airship made two trips around the world.
In the autumn of 1931, the ship of dreams began to take shape.
research help: ' Hindenburg an illustrated history' by Rick Archbold
Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric
No comments:
Post a Comment