CountFerdinand von Zeppelin (German:Ferdinand Adolf Heinrich August Graf von Zeppelin;[1] 8 July 1838 – 8 March 1917) was aGerman general and later inventor of theZeppelin rigid airships. His name became synonymous with airships and dominated long-distance flight until the 1930s. He founded the companyLuftschiffbau Zeppelin.
Ferdinand was the son ofWürttemberg Minister andHofmarschall Friedrich Jerôme Wilhelm Karl Graf von Zeppelin (1807–1886) and his wife Amélie Françoise Pauline (born Macaire d'Hogguer) (1816–1852). Ferdinand spent his childhood with his sister and brother at their Girsberg manor nearKonstanz, where he was educated by private tutors.[2] Ferdinand married Isabella Freiin von Wolff in Berlin. She was from the house of Alt-Schwanenburg (located in the present-day town ofGulbene in Latvia, then part ofLivonia).[3] They had a daughter, Helene (Hella) von Zeppelin (1879–1967) who in 1909 married Graf Alexander von Brandenstein-Zeppelin (1881–1949).
Ferdinand had a nephewBaron Max von Gemmingen [de], who volunteered at the start of the First World War, after he was past military age, to become general staff officer assigned to the military airshipLZ 12 Sachsen.[4]
In uniform as adjutant to Charles I of Württemberg, 1865Zeppelin in 1900
In 1853, Count Zeppelin left to attend thepolytechnic at Stuttgart, and in 1855 he became a cadet of the military school atLudwigsburg and then started his career as an army officer in thearmy of Württemberg.[2]
By 1858, Zeppelin had been promoted tolieutenant, and that year he was given leave to study science, engineering and chemistry atTübingen. Würtemberg's mobilising for theAustro-Sardinian War interrupted this study in 1859 when he was called up to theIngenieurkorps (Würtembergengineering corps) atUlm.[5]
In 1863, Zeppelin took leave to act as an observer for the Union'sArmy of the Potomac in theAmerican Civil War in Virginia. Later, he travelled to the Upper Midwest with a party that probably included two Russians. Led by Native American (probablyOjibwe) guides, they canoed and portaged from the western end of Lake Superior up theSt. Louis River and across toCrow Wing, Minnesota, on the Upper Mississippi River. On reachingSaint Paul, Minnesota (via stagecoach and hired carriage), Zeppelin encountered German-born itinerant balloonist John Steiner and made his first aerial ascent with him from a site near the International Hotel in downtown St. Paul on 19 August.[citation needed] Many years later he attributed the beginning of his thinking about dirigible lighter-than-air craft to this experience.[6][7]
From 1882 to 1885, Zeppelin was commander of the 19thUhlans in Ulm, and was then appointed to be the envoy of Württemberg in Berlin. In 1890, he gave up the post to return to army service and was given command of a Prussian cavalry brigade. His handling of this at the 1890 autumn manoeuvres was severely criticised, and he was forced to retire from the Army,[9] albeit with the rank ofgeneralleutnant.
Ferdinand von Zeppelin served as an official observer with the Union Army during theU.S Civil War.[10] During thePeninsular Campaign, he visited the balloon camp ofThaddeus S. C. Lowe shortly after Lowe's services were terminated by the Army. Zeppelin then travelled to St. Paul, where the German-born former Army balloonist John Steiner offered tethered flights. His first ascent in a balloon is said to have been the inspiration of his later interest in aeronautics.[6]
Zeppelin's ideas for largeairships were first expressed in a diary entry dated 25 March 1874. Inspired by a recent lecture given byHeinrich von Stephan on the subject of "World Postal Services and Air Travel", he outlined the basic principle of his later craft: a large rigidly-framed outerenvelope containing a number of separate gasbags.[11] In 1887, the success ofCharles Renard andArthur Krebs' 1884 airshipLa France prompted him to send a letter to theKing of Württemberg about the military necessity for dirigibles and the lack of German development in this field.[12]
After his resignation from the army in 1891 at age 52, Zeppelin devoted his full attention to airships.[10][13] He hired the engineerTheodor Gross to make tests of possible materials and to assess available engines for both fuel efficiency and power-to-weight ratio. He also had air propellers tested and strove to obtain higher purity hydrogen gas from suppliers.[14] Zeppelin was so confident of his concept that in June 1891 he wrote to the King of Württemberg's secretary, announcing he was to start building, and shortly after requested a review from the Prussian Army's Chief of General Staff. The next day Zeppelin almost gave up as he realized he had underestimated air resistance,[15] but resumed work on hearing thatHans Bartsch von Sigsfeld made light but powerful engines, information soon shown to be overoptimistic. Whereupon Zeppelin urged his supporterMax von Duttenhofer to pressDaimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft for more efficient engines so as not to fall behind the French.[16] Duttenhofer wrote to Gross threatening to withdraw support, and Zeppelin shortly afterwards sacked Gross, citing Gross's lack of support and writing that he was "an obstacle in my path".[16]
Despite those setbacks, Zeppelin's organization had refined his idea: a rigid aluminium framework covered in a fabric envelope; separate multiple internal gas cells, each free to expand and contract thus obviating the need forballonets; a modular frame allowing addition of sections and gas cells; and the controls, engines and gondola rigidly attached. After publishing the idea in March 1892 he hired the engineerTheodor Kober who started work testing and further refining the design.[17] Zeppelin submitted Kober's 1893 detailed designs to thePrussian Airship Service,[18] whose committee reviewed it in 1894.[18] In June 1895 this committee recommended minimum funds be granted, but withdrew this offer and rejected the design in July.[19]
One month later, in August 1895, Zeppelin received a patent for Kober's design and described as an "airship-train" (Lenkbarer Luftfahrzug mit mehreren hintereinanderen angeordneten Tragkörpern [Steerable airship-train with several carrier structures arranged one behind another].)[20][21] The patent describes an airship consisting of three rigid sections flexibly connected. The front section, intended to contain the crew and engines, was 117.35 m (385.0 ft) long with a gas capacity of 9514 cu m (336,000 cu ft): the middle section was 16 m (52 ft 6 in) long with an intended useful load of 599 kg (1,321 lb) and the rear section 39.93 m (131.0 ft) long with an intended load of 1,996 kg (4,400 lb)[22]
In early 1896, Zeppelin's lecture on steerable airship designs given to theAssociation of German Engineers (VDI) so impressed them that the VDI launched a public appeal for financial support for him.[21] This led to a first contact withCarl Berg who supplied aluminium alloys which Zeppelin had tested, and by May 1898 they, together withPhilipp Holzmann,[23] Daimler,Max von Eyth,Carl von Linde, andFriedrich Voith, had formed the joint stock companyGesellschaft zur Förderung der Luftschiffahrt.[21] Zeppelin invested 441,000 Marks, over half the total capital.[21][23] Actual construction then started of what was to be the first successful rigid airship, theZeppelin LZ1.
Berg's involvement with the project later led to allegations that Zeppelin had used the patent and designs ofDavid Schwarz's airship of 1897. Berg had signed a contract with Schwartz under the terms of which he undertook not to supply aluminium to any other airship manufacturer. He later made a payment to Schwartz's widow as compensation for dissolving this arrangement.[24] Claims that Zeppelin had been influenced by Schwartz were denied by Eckener in 1938[25] and also rejected by later historians. Zeppelin's design was "radically different"[26] in both its scale and its framework from that of Schwarz.
First flight of the LZ 1
On 2 July 1900, Zeppelin made the first flight with theLZ 1 overLake Constance nearFriedrichshafen in southern Germany. The airship rose from the ground and remained in the air for 20 minutes, but was damaged on landing. After repairs and some modifications two further flights were made by LZ 1 in October 1900, However the airship was not considered successful enough to justify investment by the government, and since the experiments had exhausted Count Zeppelin's funds, he was forced to suspend his work.[27]
Zeppelin still enjoyed the support of the King of Württemberg, who authorised a state lottery which raised 124,000 marks. A contribution of 50,000 marks was received from Prussia, and Zeppelin raised the remainder of the necessary money by mortgaging his wife's estates. Still supported by Daimler and Carl Berg, construction of his second airship, theLZ 2, was started in April 1905. It was completed by 30 November, when it was first taken out of its hangar, but a ground-handling mishap caused the bows to be pulled into the water, damaging the forward control surfaces. Repairs were completed by 17 January 1906, when LZ 2 made its only flight. Too much ballast was jettisoned on takeoff, causing the airship to rise to an altitude of 427 m (1,401 ft). Here a stiff breeze was encountered, and although the airship was at first able to overcome this, the failure of the forward engine due to cooling problems followed by the failure of the other due to a broken clutch-spring left the airship at the mercy of the wind. It was brought down nearKisslegg in theAllgäu mountains, with some damage caused by the stern's striking some trees during mooring, but was more severely damaged by high winds the following night, and had to be dismantled.[28]
In May 1906, work started on a third airship,LZ 3. This was the same size and configuration as LZ 2, but had a greater gas capacity. Finished by the end of the year, it made two successful flights at a speed of 30 miles per hour (48 km/h), and in 1907 attained a speed of 36 miles per hour (58 km/h).[10] The success of LZ 3 produced a change in the official attitude to his work, and theReichstag voted that he should be awarded 500,000 marks to continue his work.[29] However the purchase by the Government of an airship was made conditional on the successful completion of a 24‑hour trial flight. Knowing that this was beyond the capabilities of LZ 3, work was started on a larger airship, theLZ 4. This first flew on 20 June 1908. The final financial breakthrough only came after the Zeppelin LZ 4 was destroyed by fire atEchterdingen after breaking free of its moorings during a storm. The airship's earlier flights had excited public interest in the development of the airships, and a subsequent collection campaign raised over 6 million German marks. The money was used to create the 'Luftschiffbau-Zeppelin GmbH' and the Zeppelin foundation (Zeppelin Stiftung).[30]
Color photographic print of Ferdinand von Zeppelin during the expedition toSpitzbergen in 1910, taken byAdolf Miethe.
Following the destruction of LZ 4, LZ 3, which had been damaged when the floating hangar broke free of its mooring during a storm, was repaired: at the same time it was lengthened by 8 m. It was re-inflated on 21 October 1908 and after a series of short test flights a flight lasting 5 hours 55 minutes took place on 27 October with the Kaiser's brother,Admiral Prince Heinrich, on board. On 7 November, withCrown Prince William as a passenger,[31]it flew 80 km (50 mi) toDonaueschingen, where the Kaiser was then staying. In spite of poor weather conditions, the flight succeeded: two days later LZ 3 was officially accepted by the Government and on 10 November Zeppelin was rewarded with an official visit to Friedrichshafen by the Kaiser, during which a short demonstration flight over Lake Constance was made and Zeppelin awarded theOrder of the Black Eagle.[32]
Although a replacement for LZ 4, theLZ 5 was built and accepted into Army service as L II, Zeppelin's relationship with the military authorities continued to be poor, and deteriorated considerably due to his criticism of the Army following the loss of L II, which was carried away from its moorings and wrecked on 25 April 1910.[33] However, the business director of Luftschiffbau-Zeppelin,Alfred Colsman, came up with a scheme to capitalise on the public enthusiasm for Zeppelin's airships by establishing a passenger-carrying business.
Until 1914, the German Aviation Association (Deutsche Luftschiffahrtsgesellschaft orDELAG) transported 37,250 people on over 1,600 flights without an incident.[34] Within a few years the zeppelin revolution began creating the age of air transportation. During theFirst World War,Imperial Germany decided to deploy Zeppelins as long-distance bombers and launchednumerous attacks upon Belgium, France and the United Kingdom.
Count Everhard von Zeppelin, Second Lieutenant in the German Lancers, married November 1895,Mary "Mamie" McGarvey, daughter of Canadian magnateWilliam Henry McGarvey, owner of the oil wells ofGalicia and his wife, Helena J. Weslowska.A former Count von Zeppelin married a granddaughter of the 1stEarl of Ranfurly.[35]
The name of the British rock groupLed Zeppelin derives from his airships. His granddaughter Countess Eva von Zeppelin once threatened to sue them for illegal use of their family name while they were performing inCopenhagen.[37]
A 1974 episode ofMonty Python's Flying Circus (Series 4, Episode 1,The Golden Age Of Ballooning) features a skit in which Count Zeppelin (Graham Chapman) has taken various members of the government up in his ship for a promotional flight, only to get angry and throw each guest out of the ship'sgondola while it is still in the air over the perceived insult of everyone referring to the craft as aballoon instead of his preferredairship orZeppelin.
^Harry Vissering (1922)."Zeppelin: The Story of a Great Achievement".In 1887 Zeppelin submitted a memorandum to the King of Württemberg in which he explained in detail the requirements of a really successful airship and stated many reasons why such airships ought to be large and of rigid construction. However, nothing of importance was actually accomplished until he resigned as a General in 1891 in order to give his full time to his invention.
^Eckener 1938, pp. 210–211. "It is obvious at the first glance that the Zeppelin ship had nothing but its aluminium in common with the Schwarz machine, not to mention that Count Zeppelin had fixed the essential features long before Schwarz' ship appeared."
^Lehmann Chapter I "All told, 37,250 passengers had been carried, 1,600 flights made, 3,200 hours spent in the air and 90,000 miles flown without accident"
^"Militar-Verdienst-Orden",Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (in German), Stuttgart: Landesamt, 1869, p. 55
^ab"Königliche Orden",Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (in German), Stuttgart: Landesamt, 1889, pp. 35,56,63
^abc"Königliche Orden",Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (in German), Stuttgart: Landesamt, 1907, pp. 34,79
^"Großherzogliche Orden",Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden (in German), Karlsruhe, 1910, p. 194{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^"Verdienst-Orden Philipps des Großmütigen",Großherzoglich Hessische Ordensliste (in German), Darmstadt: Staatsverlag, 1907, p. 170 – via hathitrust.org
^"Eisernes Kreuz von 1870",Königlich Preussische Ordensliste (in German), vol. 3, Berlin: Gedruckt in der Reichsdruckerei, 1877, p. 1103 – via hathitrust.org
^ab"Hofstaat Hofdomanenkammer",Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (in German), Stuttgart: Landesamt, 1907, p. 18
^"Departement des Kriegswefens",Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (in German), Stuttgart: Landesamt, 1889, p. 267
^"Großherzogliche Hausorden",Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach (in German), Weimar: Böhlau, 1896, p. 65
^Sachsen (1901). "Königlich Orden".Staatshandbuch für den Königreich Sachsen: 1901 (in German). Dresden: Heinrich. pp. 194,198 – via hathitrust.org.
^"Ritter-Orden",Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie, Vienna: Druck und Verlag der K.K. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, 1916, pp. 32,114,225
^Bille-Hansen, A. C.; Holck, Harald, eds. (1912) [1st pub.:1801].Statshaandbog for Kongeriget Danmark for Aaret 1912 [State Manual of the Kingdom of Denmark for the Year 1912](PDF). Kongelig Dansk Hof- og Statskalender (in Danish). Copenhagen: J.H. Schultz A.-S. Universitetsbogtrykkeri. pp. 17–18 – viaDIS Danmark [da].
^ab"Militar-Etat",Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (in German), Stuttgart: Landesamt, 1869, p. 89
.jpg)
