Harry Vissering

“ Many new inventions have resulted from this knowledge of what is necessary to realize even part of the almost limitless possibilities in airship communication. Innumerable ideas have been created and passed upon by experts who have decided finally as to their practicability and financial worth.
The “DELAG,” which it will be noted, is the navigating company of the Zeppelin organization, has retained all of its 1919 personnel and has added to it such forces as the outlook for the future seems to warrant. The “DELAG” has about all of the qualified airship personnel in Central Europe. ”

“ Saving in time is the great essential. The maximum surface speed has apparently been attained. The railways and steamships of today, while indeed fast, have reached their economical limit of speed and it is not to be expected that they will be able, because of the enormous additional cost of operation involved, to attain much greater speeds.
The large Zeppelin Airship supplies the demand for a much faster, more luxurious, more comfortable and more safe long distance transportation. ”

“ Here in America the Civil War was attracting the adventurous from all parts of the world and shortly after it started, Zeppelin came over to join the Union Army as a volunteer officer and thus to add to his military education, but Zeppelin was not only the officer. ”

“ For the money had come from persons of high and low degree, from huts and palaces. The Zeppelin fund was truly representative of the people. It made the shops and hangar on Lake Constance a popular institution. For the first time in his life the inventor found his airship enterprise on a firm financial basis. With this foundation he was able to increase his shop and laboratory facilities and make important changes in his organization. Instead of being forced to produce something for demonstration flights alone, he was able to concentrate on practical development. ”

“ Zeppelin was hailed as a national hero, and more, for it was generally recognized that his great vehicles possessing such speed and durability were world travelers and as such would do much toward bringing all parts of the world together and thereby eliminating national borders—as far as trade, travel, and commerce were concerned, at least. ”

“ The Zeppelin-Maybach Gearless Car
In the fall of 1921 Maybach exhibited for the first time the 22-70 [35] horsepower gearless motor car, designed to simplify operation. Only what is termed the direct speed is used in driving; except for grades of more than 10%, and for the starting on these grades, when apart from the rest of the mechanism a single gear is used by pushing down a pedal. When it is released, the direct grip is automatically restored without noise or vibration. Backing is accomplished with the electric starting motor by means of a pedal. ”

“ They had justified the inventor’s faith and inspiration. He had [21] never abandoned his ideas of world transportation and was completing a survey of requirements and conditions to be met when, during a flight, he contracted inflammation of the lungs. Though mortally ill and old in years—he was seventy-eight—Count Zeppelin held conferences in his sick chamber, passing on to his assistants the big idea of airship transportation. They have since continued the work where Count Zeppelin left it. ”

“ One of the main requisites for success in any industry is the welfare of the men and women employed; and the establishment of the great Zeppelin organization created a community of employees in the small town on Lake Constance which demanded increasing attention as the organization expanded. ”

“ In November, 1917, the Zeppelin L-59 made a non-stop flight from Jambol, Bulgaria, to a point just west of Khartum in Africa and return to Jambol in 95 hours (4 days) covering a distance of 4225 miles and carrying more than 14 tons of freight besides a crew of 22, which performance remains a world’s record for all kinds of aircraft, airship or aeroplane. ”

“ When he makes an axe, fells a tree, and builds a raft, he can carry many times a dozen pounds. As soon as he learns to rip logs into boards and build a boat, he multiplies his power a hundredfold; and when to this he adds modern sciences he can produce the monster steel leviathans that defy wind, storm and distance, and bear to the uttermost parts of the earth burdens a millionfold greater than the savage could carry across the narrow river. ”

“ Zeppelin made three flights with his first airship, on the third making 17.8 miles per hour (8 meters per second) but the funds had become exhausted and overtures to the Government and industrial concerns failing, he dissolved the stock company and began anew his struggle for capital. Somehow or other people were not interested in aerial navigation. They were less willing to invest their resources in experimental machines. For five years Zeppelin labored tirelessly to make persons believe in his project. ”

“ The Hangar Construction Company
Back in 1913 a subsidiary was founded, first as a consulting engineering concern; but soon thereafter it became the Zeppelin Hangar Construction Company (Zeppelin Hallenbau G.m.b.H.) . Through long practical experience it is prepared to build and equip complete airship harbors and dock yards, prepare landing fields and airdromes. One of the principal developments with which it has been accredited is the rotary shed, single or double. It has erected special workshops, gas plants and all the accessories of a modern flying terminal. ”

“ The Zeppelin Organization and Facilities Today The Zeppelin organization today is prepared to build, deliver and operate rigid airships for any purpose. It has under contract virtually all the competent airship personnel in Germany. Practically all the engineering staffs and workmen employed in developing Zeppelins have been retained, one way or another, that they may be prepared to guarantee satisfactory performance of any Zeppelin turned out. ”

“ There was so much building to be done that a brick factory became one of the most important institutions in Zeppelin Village, which has also acquired an athletic field under the direction of an instructor in physical culture. ”

“ One of the accessory companies founded by Zeppelin in 1909 was the Maybach Motor Factory (Maybach-Motorenbau) (Plate 18) , at Friedrichshafen. It was enlarged considerably during the war, supplying practically all the airship motors used. Today the Maybach works include three large three story factory buildings, parts of which are devoted to executive offices, two workshops of recent origin occupying two acres, many engine testing stands, laboratory, and a power plant fully equipped with the latest machinery. ”

“ Heavier-than-air machines have gradually popularized flying. Persons are riding by the air route in constantly increasing numbers, here and abroad. Their faith in commercial aviation is due solely to the BRAVE pioneering efforts of a few men of vision these last twenty years. Popularity and general use depends on the efficiency of the organizations which now carry on the work so well begun.
PLATE 59
Zeppelin Fountain at Friedrichshafen. ”

“ One hundred and one single family houses were completed in July, 1916, and the new community was named Zeppelindorf (Zeppelin village) (Plate 29) . Each house sits in a garden which enables the occupant to raise his own vegetables and fruits.
The club house was opened in March, 1917. Here is a large dining room for the workmen, which is also used for concerts, plays, meetings and other social activities. There are several club rooms. Nearby are the laundry, ice plant, steam plant, and other common utilities. The “Inn” and general store are also patronized by the people of Friedrichshafen. ”

“ Experience has materially increased the performance and qualities of safety in airships. Better motors, controls, gas bags and other parts of the Zeppelin have been so improved as to preclude possibility of accidents such as those which occasionally hindered the operations of “DELAG” before the war. Each of the flights listed here averaged two hours, 68 miles (109 kilometers) , traversed with 22 passengers. All the flights aggregated 107,180 miles (172,535 kilometers) , more than four times the girth of the earth at the equator. ”

“ The economic value of the fast transportation of passengers, mail and express matter has been well proven. The existing high speed railway trains and ocean liners are the result of the ever increasing demand for rapid communication both on land and water. ”

“ Many of the problems in commercial airship operations or design will be solved shortly after actual operations are started. The aim of Zeppelin engineers has been to increase the efficiency of the airship as it has been proven that the financial returns from airship transport are, or should be, proportionately increased by the use of larger ships. ”

“ They contributed largely to the success of the commercial Zeppelin before the war. In 1915 a 240 horsepower motor was built, and this was the principal motor used on the military and naval Zeppelins. Maybach produced an entirely new motor in 1917. It supplied from 260 to 320 horsepower and is noted as the first supercompression motor. Quickly recognized as the best engine for airplanes, it became the leading German aviation motor until late in 1918 when other motors built on similar principles [34] appeared and were found more adaptable to the planes. ”

“ Sometimes, however, a Zeppelin was kept in service all winter to train airship personnel of the army or navy.
Naturally “DELAG” became noted for its successful operations; and its ships were repeatedly chartered by the military or naval personnel for training flights.
Developed Airship Navigation
The “DELAG” has been credited with the entire development of airship navigating technique. For one thing, it was the only organization of its kind, training airship personnel in practical operations. ”

“ Guaranteed Performance Based on Actual Experience
From actual experience during the war Luftschiffbau-Zeppelin is able to build and guarantee the performance of airplane carrying airships which permit large or small planes being launched or taken aboard while in flight.
Bombing and raiding airships have been developed; but on the other hand the military development is considered of secondary importance to the vast amount of knowledge and experience acquired for commercial airship operations.
PLATE 55
135,000 Cubic Meter Fast Passenger Zeppelin. ”

“ The German Airship Transportation Company—DELAG— (a Zeppelin subsidiary) during a period of three years just before the war, 1911-14, carried 34,228 passengers without a single injury to either passengers or crews, and after the war, from August 24th to December 1st, 1919, by means of the improved Zeppelin “Bodensee” carried 2,380 passengers, 11,000 pounds of mail (440,000 letters) , and 6,600 pounds of express matter, exclusive of crews, between Friedrichshafen (Swiss frontier) and Berlin under unfavorable weather and terminal conditions, besides a flight from Berlin to Stockholm and return. ”

“ The plant is as modern as they could make it. The buildings occupy three acres. They include office buildings, workshops for hobbing, heat-treating, grinding and polishing cog-wheels and the complete gear transmissions. Aluminum castings are obtained from the foundry of the parent company, Luftschiffbau-Zeppelin.
The gear works is equipped throughout with automatic machines built on the Maag patents. His cog-wheel involves a new principle, giving utmost safety and freedom from wear and noise. Specially designed testing machines are used, guaranteeing precision of the gear wheels. ”

“ When the flights were from one airship harbor to another they often lasted four and sometimes eight hours. The fare was determined by the length of the flight, or the mileage. Round trip flights, which were comparatively short, cost from 25 to 50 dollars (one to two hundred marks.) The long distance trips ranged from 60 to 150 dollars (250 to 600 marks) . Many single flights were made over the North Sea. The “Victoria Louise” often flew to Helgoland, Sylt and Norderney, the “Hansa” to Copenhagen and the “Sachsen” to Vienna. These flights were characterized as pleasure trips ”

“ There are various departments including the planning and supervising divisions, two designing divisions (one for scientific and general design, the other for workship and drawings) , the manufacturing and erecting divisions, calculating and accounting, testing and controlling, and general maintenance divisions. The research department is a separate organization.
The Airship Factories
In the airship factories the framework is made and erected. The envelope is prepared, passenger and engine gondolas completed and assembled along with other apparatus and instruments. ”

“ This new Zeppelin will embody the very latest improvements in airship design and will be delivered by being flown from Berlin across the Atlantic to the Navy’s Airship Harbor at Lakehurst, New Jersey. It will be built by Luftschiffbau-Zeppelin (Zeppelin Airship Building Co., Ltd.) , at their Friedrichshafen Works and will be a 70,000 cubic meter (2,400,000 cu. ft.) gas capacity commercial type, as it is intended that it will be flown in the United States to demonstrate the safety and practicability of long distance airship-transport. It will be delivered by a Zeppelin crew. ”