America's First Rigid Airship

America's first rigid airship, USS Shenandoah (ZR-1), was the trailblazer not only in its new materials and technologies, but also learning to live with the limitations of rare and expensive helium as a lifting gas. This video offers a different view than more popular histories. As we approach the rebirth of the rigid airship, the story of these pioneers needs to be fully understood.

[@mitshumarner5870]

Well done documentary.

[@lesboatright5928]

Loved it!! Great History lesson with lots of interesting film footage!

[@flyingdutchman4794]

Interesting that the Los Angeles was able to fly on helium with little difficulty - but, looking at the Shenandoah and the LA side-by-side, it's clear that the LA was a subsequent design generation more advanced; it had the tapered teardrop-shaped hull whereas the Shenandoah looked like a flying cigar. Edit 1: I can understand why Cmdr. Lansdowne clamped the relief valves shut though; he probably didn't appreciate being yelled at for two hours by some bean-counter REMF every time he landed the ship.

[@BeKindToBirds]

The teardrop hull was adopted specifically to prevent destructive expansion like what destroyed the USS Shenandoah.

[@kiwitrainguy]

The difference between the ZR1 and the ZR3 is that the first was designed and built in the USA and the ZR3 (Los Angeles) was designed and built in Germany.

[@dabking94.19]

The ZR-1 Shenandoah was based on the L-49 a structurally weekend "hight climber" Zeppelin. The ZR-3 Los Angeles was a true Zeppelin design with a stronger frame.

[@rothbj1]

Lots of rare archival footage.

[@ellenvtr5317]

Interesting details not seen elsewhere...fun to consider who/where family members were in these years

[@gaz11h]

great video found it very interesting

[@royalmason1539]

There was no reason for the government to apologize for requiring helium. Because helium was used there were 26 survivors of the Shennandoah crash. With hydrogen there would likely have been none, as the ship would have burst into flames at altitude. Helium was the obvious choice over hydrogen, as attested to by today's blimp industry, which still uses helium and not hydrogen. Technology was just not advanced enough to make travel in the airships anything but very dangerous in that day.

[@maxsager139]

I like Laputa's movie, it is based on airships and bimanas, with a very nice story.

[@ercost60]

Great video, thank you!

[@caddymj]

Very informative.

[@Electriceye1984bySam]

I’ve watched this story being told many times, but you have the best footage and narration of any video I have seen yet well done congratulations and thank you🫡👍🏻

[@anthonycurr3161]

Only one minor criticism: Surely poor Zachary Lansdowne was killed in the fall of the control car, so would not have been alive to assist in the landing of the bow section?

[@AvengerII]

Crash souvenir collectors! Souvenir collecting -- They did THE SAME THING after the Hindenburg burned. They took pieces of it as souvenirs. Now, I don't think anything stolen was likely remnants of a bomb or such -- I think the Hindenburg likely suffered some form of structural failure that precipitated the ignition of the hydrogen; Eckner's probably right because he knew that ship better than anyone else -- but it's amazing how thoughtless people are sometimes. Heh... They can pay for that thoughtlessness. I understand fragments of both Columbia and Challenger were very toxic. Both frame pieces and containers for fuel (some fuel tanks did survive the accidents intact with chemicals still in them!) were no-touch items that I'm sure looked innocent to the average person.

[@WaterWorld1]

Excellent!

[@markokuhar670]

Cool video!

[@guillensuarezmartinez831]

CONCEPT SHIPS IMAGES WITH FOR STORY WITH.

[@krugerfuchs]

Which was actually German

[@impatiencedogbreath7326]

ahahahaha🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟✊✊✊✊✊✊✊✊✊😀

[@BurningWarSword]

Propaganda

[@kevinmendoza6386]

Propane