WikiPortallus: Luftschiffbau Zeppelin.html

Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH

Founder(s)

Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin

Headquarters

Germany

History

Count von Zeppelin had been building various guidable rigid airship prototypes from as early as 1899. For the first few years, finance for the research was supplied by the count himself, by private donations, and even a lottery. With the growing success of each flight, public interest also grew. In 1908, the 'Zeppelin LZ 4' crashed during a high profile test flight. The failure was somewhat serendipitous, in that it caused a flood of public support. The ensuing donation campaign collected over 6 million German marks which was used to set up both 'Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH' and a Zeppelin foundation. ¹

Luftschiffbau Zeppelin manufactured many Zeppelin airships for both civilian and military use over then next few decades. However, with the rise of the Nazis in 1933, focus shifted to 'heavier than air' aircraft, due to their military superiority (though Zeppelins were used in a number of major propaganda campaigns to great effect). By the onset of World War II, demand for the Zeppelins had waned. In fact the last active vessels (LZ 127 and LZ 130) were decommissioned early in the war and salvaged for their precious aluminium.

External videos

Operation Bellicose map

V-2 rocket production

In the Autumn of 1941, Zeppelin Airship Construction Ltd (German: Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH) had accepted contracts to produce V-2 rocket propellant tanks and fuselage sections.² By August 17, 1942, the Allies had suspected the Zeppelin Works (as well as the Henschel Raxwerke) were involved with the V-2 rocket,³ and on July 25, 1943, Duncan Sandys reported that Friedrichshafen photos depicted rocket firing sites like Test Stand VII at Peenemünde.⁴ Previously in June 1943, allied bombing of Operation Bellicose hit the Zeppelin V-2 facility, and production was subsequently moved to the Mittelwerk.

Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH still exists as of 2005, and is a major shareholder in the company ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH which is developing and producing the Zeppelin NT.

References

^ Archbold, Rick (1994). Hindenburg: An Illustrated History. Warner/Madison Press. p. 32. ISBN 0466517844. http://books.google.com/books?id=pdo0AAAACAAJ.
^ Neufeld, Michael J. (1995). The Rocket and the Reich: Peenemünde and the Coming of the Ballistic Missile Era. New York: The Free Press. p. 143.
^ Ordway, Frederick I, III; Sharpe, Mitchell R (1979). The Rocket Team. Apogee Books Space Series 36. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell. p. 74. ISBN 1894959000.
^ Irving, David (1964) (html). The Mare's Nest. London: William Kimber and Co. pp. 65,81. http://www.fpp.co.uk/books/MaresNest/index.html.