The airplane is arguably one of the most important inventions in human history, making travel, the transportation of goods and medicines, and protection from foreign enemies all possible. But before the airplane, there was the airship.
What is an airship, you ask? Well, in a nutshell, it’s similar to a blimp you might see at a football or baseball game. The difference is that there is no rigid internal structure to a blimp, whereas an airship is constructed with a frame and will maintain its shape if deflated.
The first airship took its inaugural flight in 1852, 51 years before the Wright brothers were able to get a plane in the sky. French engineer, Jules Henri Giffard, modeled the airship from the already existing hot-air balloon, making some tweaks here and there to avoid similar disasters and crashes that balloons had faced in the elements.
Among those changes was the shape of the balloon from circular to a cigar shape. Giffard also added a steam rudder and propeller to enhance steering capabilities. This would also potentially position a pilot to better maneuver against the elements, or so Giffard thought.
Upgrading the Airship
Following the first flight from Paris to Élancourt, France, Giffard’s craft was unable to return to the take off point nearly 17 miles away due to windy conditions. Inventors and engineers began working to perfect what could be considered a flawed design in Giffard’s airship.
A key change in the construction of the balloon was made around 1897. Inventor David Schwarz of Hungary decided that instead of a fabric-layered balloon that was susceptible to punctures, the craft needed something stronger, like aluminum. While the idea to change the makeup of the craft was a step in the right direction, Schwarz’s design ultimately failed as it collapsed upon landing during its first flight.
Then came perhaps the most well-known airship man, German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, who thought bigger was better when it came to the construction of his craft. His first ship, the LZ-1, was a staggering 420 feet long.
The genius in this design? Seventeen inflatable airbags kept the craft aloft, instead of one large balloon that could go down if its outer shell was punctured.
The LZ-1 tooks its 18-minute inaugural flight on July 2, 1900, around Lake Constance in Germany, and after engineers discovered that it too was difficult to maneuver, Zeppelin continued to build a fleet that aimed to address the issue.
By World War I, Zeppelin had built 21 airships. Germans used several to scout enemy locations, and by 1915 those crafts were being used to bomb Britain.
The Future of Air Travel
Zeppelin's crafts had purposes beyond combat; there was also a niche for tourism as the demand for the airship grew in both the U.S. and the UK.
Zeppelins, as they became known, were already flying members of the public on leisure trips. By the end of the war, commercial airplane flights were also underway but as airships offered optimal space, a quieter ride, and no turbulence, they became the premiere choice for air travel.
“One reason why airships were far more popular than little putt-putt airplanes in the early days was because they were much larger and they were much more comfortable,” Alexander Rose, author of Empires of the Sky, told Cheddar. “It was essentially like being on a cruise liner in the air as opposed to this little juddering, shuddering, airplane.”
While travel time was not very optimal — Zeppelins, at that point, only moved about 64 mph — the luxury of personal dining rooms, bathrooms, and lounges was more appealing to travelers. In 1919, a British airship, the R34, became the first airship to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a 108-hour flight.
The Airship Takes a Marketing Blow
The future of the tourism industry via the Zeppelin airship looked promising but a devastating fatal crash would spell the end of an era.
Zeppelin’s largest aircraft, the LZ 129 Hindenburg, a nearly 780-foot airship, made 17 international trips between Germany and the U.S between 1936 and 1937. The trip was no cheap thrill, costing passengers $400 for a one-way trip — the equivalent of $7,370 in 2019.
But in May 1937, the future of the airship industry would change after the most devastating crash in Zeppelin’s history happened in Manchester Township, N.J.
Operators of the Maybach engine-powered airship opted for hydrogen instead of helium not simply because it was cheaper. Instead, the larger driving force was the state of trade relations between the United States and Germany. The decision would prove to be fatal not only for the 36 passengers but for the industry as a whole.
The Hindenburg was filled with hydrogen instead of helium not simply because it was cheaper. The larger driving force was the state of trade relations between the United States and Germany. The decision would prove to be fatal not only for the 36 passengers but for the industry as a whole.
Crashes were not uncommon but the severity of the Hindenburg crash and its live news coverage would be a scene many could not get past.
Airplanes Take Off
At the same time, commercial flights were growing in popularity and efficiency. Planes were already flying higher at 13,000 feet and were zipping through skies faster at 200 mph.
Two years after the Hindenburg crash, international commercial flights were underway.
Pan American chartered a 22-hour flight from New York to Marseille, France, becoming the first passenger flight to cross the Atlantic.
Planes were also more cost-effective to construct and easier to test than the airship.
“They were very, very expensive to build, and you could build 500 or 1,000 airplanes for the price of one giant Zeppelin,” Rose told Cheddar.
Airship Comeback?
All is not lost for the airship. In fact, there are still talks about using the vehicle for tourism and cargo hauls, particularly to remote or hard to reach locations.
Quebec’s government has invested $23 million to develop their own cargo airship, the Fly Whales. The craft is set to go into production in 2025 with hopes to carry more than 130,000 pounds of goods to remote locations. The government’s goal is to have a fleet of 162 airships within the first decade of commercial production.
The OceanSky Cruise Company has plans to embark on passenger voyages to the Arctic in 2023. The craft will carry 23 passengers and crew on board the 320-foot-long airship but the price tag is pretty steep at $65,000.
Updated on May 20, 2021 to clarify why the Hindenburg was filled with hydrogen.
Video produced by John Tejada. Article written by Lawrence Banton.
