ATLANTIC RECORD

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 428, 8 May 1937, Page 5

ATLANTIC RECORD

FLIGHT LAST YEAR WONDERS OF AIRSHIP AH Amenities Of Hotel Life The Zeppelin Hindenburg landed at Lakehurst, New Jersey, just three clays under a year ago after an uneventful but record voyage of nearly 4500 miles from Friedrichshafen, Germany, in 61J hours. The record was previously held by the United States dirigible Los Angeles, which took 81 hours. The Graf Zeppelin’s lime was 95 hours. The Hindenburg was nearly twice the size of her predecessor, the Graf Zeppelin, and look four years to build. Her trials proved so satisfactory that at lhe end of the same month she set o-u*t on her nuaiden South Atlantic voyage from Friedrichshafen to Brazil, md from there to New York, to complete an entirely successful experimental flight. The service then developed into fortnightly crossings. The Hindenburg was the first airship designed specifically wit h a view to making -commercial ocean flights. i According to her builders’ figures, she was 812 ft. in length, some 200 ft. shorter than the Queen Mlary; her. height was 135ffi; gas volume, 6,609,000 cubic feet; lifting power, 210 tons; cruising speed, 80.6 miles an hour. She was propelled by four Merceles-Elenz Diesel motors which developed a total of 3300 horse_pow_ er. 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 war. a floor space of 4306 square feet inside the vessel and' sleeping accommodation -for 72 pople. In addition to quarters for a crew of 48, provision was also made for an extra 30 passengers. One of the wonders of .the Hinden. | burg was- the luxurious nature of her interior fittings. All the amenities of hotel life were included and every cabin was fl/ted with’ hot an J cold water, a wardrobe, snug bunk and a

shower-bath.. Evhn more elaborate was the furniture and the lounge, and perhaps the most remarkable innovation of all was a smokeroomt Her observation windows were of 'special design and afforded almost unres' Tinted; vision. The Hindenburg was divided into two decks, the upper one comprising a Parge room on either side subdivided into lounge and reading-room, and dining-fl’oom and observatory. The smokeroom wag on ithe lower deck, completely isolated from o'ther compartments, which were the chartroom, 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’ seio ion. One cabin was. allotted! to each two of the crew, and they had their own dining-room and kitchen, which adjoined a roomy uomprment for luggage. Throughout she was equipped with air-condi-tioning apparatus. When built, the airship was known, as LZ —129 and was after named the Hindenburg. After leaving America, her wes -to-west crossing taking 48hr 17min., two of the four engines gave trouble over the Mediterranean. In spite of that, however, the- 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 has been refused. Ft was sttaied 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 la little over £0 hours and 'the return flight in shr. 39min. In August, 1936, the airship made the round-trip n five days. Notable Crossings. One of the most notable lairship Atlant':,- crossings was made in October, 1928, by the Graf Zeppelin, which overed nearly 6300 miles and remained aloft for 112 hours. The return flight was made over a direct North ATantic course in 69 hours. On the Hindenburg’s first crossing she carried 36 passengers (including seven women) and a crew of 4’o and more than five tons of freight.