The Story Behind The Original Zeppelin: The LZ-1
Zeppelins are a relic now, and most people's interactions with airships of any kind consist of seeing the Goodyear Blimp at sporting events or as references in pop culture. After the Hindenburg disaster in 1937 where 36 people were killed after the airship caught fire and crashed in New Jersey, zeppelins as a form of air transportation were done away with.
Zeppelins, by definition, are rigid airships that contain gas — helium or hydrogen as was the case with the Hindenburg — and are covered by a fabric skin. The airships have actually been around longer than the invention of winged powered flight by the Wright Brothers in 1903. Zeppelins date back to the late 1800s and are named after their inventor, German aristocrat and army general Count Ferdinand Von Zeppelin.
The very first Zeppelin produced, dubbed the LZ-1, or Luftschiff Zeppelin 1, looked promising when it was first built in 1899, but when it flew in 1900, it went over like a proverbial lead balloon.
The Zeppelin's first flight
The LZ-1 was built on a movable floating hanger of sorts on Germany's Lake Constance. The hanger could be moved to find the most optimal wind conditions for the launch of the vessel as its weak powertrain likely wouldn't help too much. It was powered by 15 horsepower Daimler engines that hung on external gondolas. The 420-foot long vessel also had no external control surfaces that are present on every single conventional aircraft, making it very challenging, if not impossible to control in anything but perfect conditions.
However, the LZ-1 did make its first successful flight on July 2, 1900. It lurched out of its floating hanger and over the lake. Getting off the ground proved that the concept was not completely implausible as Zeppelins were in use over three decades. But the LZ-1 itself was less than spectacular as just about every means of propelling and controlling the airship were prone to failure. The complicated sliding weight system that allowed it to change elevation jammed regularly, and the engines were not reliable.
Despite dirigibles falling out of use, the famed aforementioned Goodyear Blimp is produced by ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik, the original company founded by Count Von Zeppelin.