Zeppelin
By: Britney Bankos
What does it do?
Zeppelin flew in high or low altitude and they were used for reconnaissance missions and air raids.
How does it work?
It had a metal frame that was covered in a skin. Within the skin, multiple gas bags filled with hydrogen could be found. In addition, a gondola was attached to the bottom that housed crew and passengers. It was powered by several engines that were attached to the frame and to the gondola. The zeppelin was capable of flying in any direction.
Was it successfully used?
No, it was vulnerable to ground fire; several were destroyed in the war. In addition, its design had flaws. The Hindenburg disaster is a great example of this. The Hindenburg was a kind of air ship that exploded and killed a number of people. Its flammable skin combined with flammable gas was a recipe for disaster. To this day nobody knows exactly what caused its demise but there are many theories. These theories range from a lightening strike to a static shock.
Cites
Information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeppelin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindenburg_disaster
Picture number 1: http://silodrome.com/graf-zeppelin/
Picture number 2: http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Airship.html
Picture number 3: http://www.jeremysaid.com/?attachment_id=768