HISTORY OF HEAVY DIRIGIBLES & AIRSHIPS HINDENBURG DISASTER U.S. NAVY ZEPPELINS 84504

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Produced by the United States Department of War, this rather lengthy, black-and-white is titled “Lighter-Than-Air History Rigid Airship.” (Although the Roman numeral copyright date is 1947, it seems possible the film was made in 1937). The film opens as one of the US Navy’s airships passes effortlessly above the camera and the narrator references the history of the rigid airship, “a story full of excitement and adventure,” and envisions a future in which the airships serve military and commercial purposes.
Of course, the narrator admits, no mention of a dirigible can take place without a reference to the Hindenburg disaster on May 6, 1937. The now-familiar footage of the dirigible exploding into flames and crashing to the ground is shown at mark 01:14, as the narrator discusses possible causes. (The incident shattered public confidence in the giant, passenger-carrying rigid airship and ultimately led to the end of the airship era.)
The view is taken back in time to 1897 with a discussion of the history of the airship starting at mark 02:47, as early drawings from aviation pioneer David Schwarz are shown on the screen. (Schwarz is credited with creating the first airship with an external hull made of metal. He died before it was flown.) The “real father” of the airship, the narrator continues, was Ferdinand von Zeppelin, a German general and aircraft manufacturer, who is shown at mark 03:00. He used his knowledge of balloons garnered as a Union Army observer during the Civil War to craft the first dirigible. The first practical rigid, the Zeppelin LZ 1, flew on July 2, 1900, and various animations show how the aircraft was constructed and able to take flight.
Come mark 05:56, the film introduces its viewer to Hugo Eckener, one of Zeppelin’s colleagues and following his 1917 death, Zeppelin’s successor in Germany’s airship development. We then take a look inside an early commercial airship, including its promenade deck, restaurant, and cabins. Overtime, the German military began to use such airships as weapons, the narrator comments at mark 08:18 - something that caught Allied Forces in World War I unprepared. “For the first time in history it was possible to carry a large cargo of bombs hundreds of enemies by air to enemy territory,” we are told, as images of German Zeppelins are shown flying overhead. One of the most successful uses of a Zeppelin was during the Battle of Jutland in 1916 in the North Sea, as the Imperial German Navy battled the British Royal Navy. A Zeppelin spotted Navy vessels and were able to radio their location. After WWI, the Allies studied a few handful of captured German airships. The British were able to develop their own rigid airship, with the R34 becoming the first aircraft to make a successful nonstop east to west transatlantic flight.
The US Navy attempted their own construction of a rigid airship with the USS Shenandoah (ZR-1). It was destroyed in a storm in 1925, killing 14 people onboard. At mark 17:55, the viewer learns of the USS California (ZR-3), a rigid airship built by Germany as war reparation. It was used for experimental work, making more than 300 flights, before the airship program was dismantled in 1932. The Goodyear Tire Company would later team with German manufacturers to create airships including the USS Akron (ZRS-4), the Navy's fourth rigid airship used for several tests including as a flying aircraft carrier.
At mark 29:15, we see Germany’s new airship, the Graf Zeppelin (LZ 127), launched in 1928. The film shows crowds of people surrounding the massive as it takes to the sky. The ship operated commercially from 1928 to 1937, and was the first commercial passenger transatlantic flight service in the world. The Hindenburg (LZ 129) is discussed again at mark 31:49, as the narrator discusses its various transatlantic ships and accommodations such as staterooms, showers, lounge, and smoking room. “The big airship provided the acknowledged maximum comfort in oceanic travel.”
Although the film notes at mark 35:40 that many aeronautic experts envision airships as being viable means of transportation in both military and commercial settings, their development was all but abandoned following World War II.
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[@rickzitarosa]

This film was produced in 1946 when the future of the rigid airship had already been "decided" by the introduction of large airplanes. Rear Admiral Rosendahl (Chief of Naval Airship Training And Experimentation) was an ardent believer in the future of the rigid airship (to the end of his long life at age 85 in 1977) but the fact was that by 1946 the rigid airship had *very* little future. The following year German rigid airship "guru" Hugo Eckener (age 79 at the time) was flown across the Atlantic by a US Army Air Force C-54 transport in 20 hours and said himself " What does the Zeppelin now have to offer to the businessman in a hurry?"

[@chiloandchepo]

Lots of tourism also

[@russelljohnson1303]

Proportion wise I gotta give it to the R-100 the perfect amount of hull length and slimness. Although the macume is lovely such a shame they didn't bother the reinforce the tail section.

[@ERH1453]

...Macon...

[@broken1394]

There will always be something gobsmackingly beautiful about seeing an airship up above a city, at least the passenger ones! Amazing footage... Thanks for the share. 🙋🏻‍♂️

[@eggisfun4217]

beautiful bombings if its not passenger

[@rileywilliams9799]

This is a gem of a film. Too bad the proposed airships presented at the end never came to fruition. An entirely novel chapter of aviation could've continued to advance.

[@vanlampham2557]

Wonder if the last airship was the inspiration for the Spirit Of Adventure from Up

[@LemmyCaution66]

Discovered this amazing channel. Watched the video and learned so much. Thank you for the upload. Greetings from Belgium 🇧🇪 ❤️🎈

[@unicorn_jesus6930]

Hindenburg was a beautiful airship

[@stuartsviews1565]

Interesting to see footage from "the hells angels" used to demonstrate the wartime Zeppelins.

[@thirtynine392001]

The first paragraph of the description contains the supposition: "Although the Roman numeral copyright date is 1947, it seems possible the film was made in 1937." I think the film was in fact made in 1947 because the narrator says the words "World War One." Before 1939, there was only the "Great War." Only during/after WWII, would anyone call the 1914 - 1918 conflict WWI.

[@SeraphoftheRoundTable]

Oh how much I would love for the airship to make a comeback for civilian use, but I know it's only a pipe dream.

[@crankychris2]

Yes, cruising the USA at say 5,000 feet at 75 mph in luxury would have been awsome.

[@diedertspijkerboer]

This neutral and objective documentary perfectly anticipated the scale and success of airships in later years. After all, who cares about accidents and tragedies?

[@P.S.Motley]

Very good. Thanks for the information

[@skatee99]

If interested in this subject- you MUST get this book. Most descriptive, authentic and, authorize books on the subject. Out of print - had to get mine on eBay. "Airship Saga" by Lord Ventry.

[@RMS-Relax]

Interesting. This early American documentary was recycled into the 1998 documentary "The Zeppelin" The narrator of the 1998 documentary followed pretty much the same script. The difference being some slight changes in terminology and adding some history at either end of the scope of this documentary. Link, if anyone is interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/envEZIprjJ6ertE

[@thewiz7752]

U would fly on 1.. I think if they vuilt them today, they would be much better and safer.

[@oscillation9814]

At 29:21 anyone know the music name? I’ve heard it before.

[@nicparker3809]

Yeah now imagine they had built them this whole time what they would look like. I think the UFO mystery is solved.

[@alexowen5384]

Love airships recently bought a tiny piece of the Hindenburg which will keep forever, shame they will never return but I think they look awesome on the sky but all this video shows is every one blew up or crashed

[@davidlogansr8007]

You obviously missed the point where it was stated that nearly 50 Zeppelins were surrendered by Germany to the Allied powers at the end of World War One. Also, Graf Zeppelin one and two did not crash or burn, and neither did the Los Angeles. Notable that all 3 were of German construction.

[@gregorydahl]

Airship airships were built with the lightest flimsiest materials available at the time but they had a lot of accidents with that so the solution would be to build a lighter and flimsier with more advanced material? No .

[@mrlaw711]

There were so many airship disasters. The R-101 was worse. I feel that if Jules Verne had designed the ships - they would have worked more effectively. Or, for that matter, DiVinci.

[@nursedaniel72]

I had a nice red helium balloon that popped once. My parents had an inquest. It WAS sabotage, my brother had thrown a pin. OHHH THE HUMANITY ! 😱

[@kae4466]

nothing about santos dumant who in france is recognized for his idea of the rigid airship

[@joshjenkins004]

kae4466 who cares about the french?

[@paulabraham2550]

The film's perspective is set at the very start where he says "... that made the United States the leader in general aeronautics..." - a reasonable claim now but absolute nonsense then.

[@gregorydahl]

Yeah . Albet santos dumont has plans on google today " how to build an airship " varnished silk and the truss bridge under it to walk forward and backward to balance and controls were pushrods running the length of the truss . What zeppelin copied from anerica in 1863

[@XAndresGil]

Carlos Alban inventor donated his discoveries and knowledge for the production of airships by count von zeppelin

[@CTimmerman]

A Zeppelin uses only a third of the fuel compared to a cargo plane (Quora, qr.ae/TUpuZ2), and produces only 40 decibels (Popular Mechanics, September 1974).

[@rictrexell2118]

The fire did not have much to do with hydrogen, but rather the coating that the Germans used on the skin of the craft. It was made of the same chemicals as rocket fuel. Thus it burned so fast. Had it been hydrogen, it would have been a blue fire, but it was more of a yellow fire. That is more common with the theory of it being a rocket fuel fire.

[@plutoid3524]

No.

[@CTimmerman]

I think the fabric added carbon to the fire.

[@kiwitrainguy]

There were three things that burned in the Hindenburg crash: 1. Hydrogen, 2. The doped fabric covering the airship (a combination of iron oxide and aluminium = Thermite), 3. The Diesel fuel for the engines.

[@bohemianmonk6222]

if only...

[@Allfaxnocaps]

It was deff sabotaged

[@protyusgames4741]

Very odd world perspective at 30:00. Very Nato flatearthish.

[@figaro-dg5c5]

Just shut up

[@user-ou9ft9th3h]

It's telling that nearly every airship mentioned in this film crashes.

[@kiwitrainguy]

It's easy to list the exceptions: LZ 126 / ZR 3 Los Angeles, R100 & LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin. Also the second Graf Zeppelin LZ 130.

[@unicorn_jesus6930]

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@figaro-dg5c5]

Those were so cool

[@jamesokeeffe4614]

Bunch of misinformation

[@Straightoffthetopmedia]

Boy yall know how too lie🙄🙄

[@a1977dy]

_

[@chiloandchepo]

This video is bs . The wilbur wnd Orville wright brothers 😂😂😂 invnted air flight. Jk

[@oilsmokejones3452]

Bottom line is only Germans could build and operate dirigibles with any degree of success..genetic? sociological? what?? and with access to helium the success would have been that much greater..It seems like others just didn't try that hard....

[@ERH1453]

..."others" in New York and London did not want the Germans to succeed.