Zeppelin Nt
There are, however, a number of notable differences between the Zeppelin NT and the dirigibles of those days, as well as between the Zeppelin NT and usual non-rigid airships known as blimps. The Zeppelin NT is classified as a semi-rigid airship.
Technology
The Zeppelin NT airships constructed so far are 75 m long, with a volume of 8,225 m³. They are thus considerably smaller than the old Zeppelins.
Furthermore, they are inflated exclusively with the non-flammable noble gas helium.
In standard operations with a maximum payload, the gas cells do not create enough buoyancy to make the whole ship "lighter-than-air." The negative buoyancy is overcome with engine power. The buoyancy can change when traveling with reduced payload and partially emptied fuel tanks, but usually the Zeppelin NT starts its journey with a net downward force of about 3,000 N (306 kg), and on long trips can end up lighter than air if a lot of fuel is used.
Some have erroneously described the design as a hybrid airship.
However that term is most often used only for aircraft that use aerodynamic forces to carry at least 40% of the total aircraft weight. The aircraft is most accurately characterized as an airship that uses vectored thrust to compensate for its static heaviness.
The Zeppelin NT is a semi-rigid airship.
It is unlike both the original Zeppelins that had a rigid skeleton and non-rigid blimps. It has an internal triangular truss made of graphite-reinforced plastic and three longitudinal girders made of aluminium which connect the triangular elements along the length of the frame.
However the hull of the Zeppelin NT serves both as the hull and as the gas cell. It is made of a three-layered laminate: one gas-tight layer of Tedlar (PVF), one polyester fabric layer to provide stability and one polyurethane layer suitable for thermic welding that serves to connect the separate laminate panels.
To preserve its outer form, a slight overpressure of about 5 millibar is maintained within the hull.
The ballonets have a total volume of 2,000 m³.
Propulsion and steering
Three propeller engines of the type Textron Lycoming IO-360 with a power of 147 kW (200 metric hp) each provide the Zeppelin NT with excellent maneuverability. Two lateral engines, equipped with tilting propellers and usually aligned horizontally, can be turned 90° upward or 30° downward.
The aft engine powers a pushing propeller that can be turned 90° downward, as well as a steering propeller directed to the side and working similarly to the lateral-thrust units of some ships. The three 200 PS (197 hp) engines use aviation gasoline (AvGas) as their fuel source see manufacturer's FAQ's.
Instead of four rudder and elevator fins, the Zeppelin NT uses only three, which saves weight.
Standard operational altitude is 300 m (1000 ft), but up to 2,600 m (8,500 ft) is possible. Their maximum permitted takeoff weight is 10,690 kg, with a payload of 1,900 kg.
The Zeppelin NT is able to take-off and land vertically.
Only three helpers are required on the ground.
Capacity
The Zeppelin NT has a passenger capacity of 12, plus 2 crew, or the capability to lift 1,900 kg of payload.
Range of application
Since August 15, 2001 the Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei (German for German Zeppelin shipping company) has successfully offered joyrides with Zeppelin NT airships. The DZR was founded as a subsidiary of the ZLG in January 2001.
The craft are also used as observation platforms for photographers and television commentators covering major events.
Due to their capability for long low-vibration flight (up to 24 hours), the ZLG also considers the airships well-suited to research missions for environmental observations, troposphere research or prospecting natural resources.
Project history
The modern development and construction was financed from an endowment, initially funded with money left over from the earlier Zeppelin company, that had been under the trusteeship of the Mayor of Friedrichshafen.
A stipulation on the endowment limited use of its funds to the field of airships. Over the many years, the investment value of the endowment grew to a point where the time seemed right to use it for the design, development, and construction of a new Zeppelin.
The initial design study was prepared in 1989.
The ZLT was founded as a spin-off of the Zeppelin company in September 1993. Subsequently, it traveled some 3,600 km in test flights.
In 2001 the company began manufacturing the Zeppelin NT in series and began to exploit the airships commercially.
By the end of that year, it had already transported 3222 passengers, a figure that rose to about 30,000 by November 2003.
During the Oktoberfest of 2002 a Zeppelin NT was used for radio experiments in connection with the European Galileo positioning system project for the German Aerospace Center and the ESA.
The third Zeppelin NT SN 03 was designated D-LZZF and first flew in February 2003.
The Friedrichshafen is intended to be used for training pilots, for special flights and for presentations. As a tribute to the days of Zeppelin mail, a number of mail-carrying flights are planned.
On March 2, 2004 the ZLT sold a Zeppelin NT for the first time; SN 02 was acquired by the Japanese Nippon Airship Corporation and was transferred in June 2004, and was to follow the historical route of the 1929 World Tour of the famous dirigible LZ127 "Graf Zeppelin".
The company intends to use the airship mainly for joyrides and advertising.
Steve Fossett and Paul Stroehle set the current speed record for airships over a distance of one kilometer on Wednesday, October 27, 2004 in Friedrichshafen, Germany with a Zeppelin NT. The new world record was set to 111.8 km/h (69.5 mph or 60.4 knots), an improvement of 19 km/h.
It also announced plans to build a larger, 19 seat aircraft.
The ship is expected to start commercial flights in the Autumn of 2008. This instrument, owned and operated by Bell Geospace, measures changes in the Earth's gravity field associated with geological density variations.
The airship, flying slowly at night in relatively cool calm air, provides a very stable and vibrationally quiet platform. This survey came to an end on 20 September 2007, when D-LZFN was irreparably damaged by a whirlwind while moored at its mast.
In January 2006 the Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH announced building a fourth Zeppelin NT07.
The airship is expected to arrive at the Port of Beaumont on or about September 26, 2008. After spending three days tethered at the Southeast Texas Regional Airport, the airship will fly cross-country to its base at Moffett Federal Airfield.
Prior to the trip to the USA, the airship, registered D-LZNT, operated sightseeing and pleasure flights over eastern London and the Thames Estuary from an airfield close to Upminster, in Essex, England, advertising "Stella Artois" beer and the DrinkAware campaign.