Transport By Air The Airship 
| You are viewing text created during the EU sponsored project "Kids & Science". More information on this project can be found on the project Web site: www.kidsandscience.org |
The AirshipWith the accident of the Hindenburg in 1937 at the American town of Lakehurst, the dream of aeronautics ended in a catastrophe. Today, 60 years later, this almost forgotten aircraft rises like the Phoenix from the ashes: In 1997, the new passenger zeppelin NT ascended for its maiden voyage in Friedrichshafen. Its filling is non-flammable helium instead of the highly explosive hydrogen. And right on time for the turn of the millennium comes the sensation: The CargoLifter will reach new dimensions of transport. This airship with a length of 260 metres, a diameter of 65 metres, around 550000 cubic metres of helium and a freight capacity of 160 tons becomes a new transport system.
The dream of flight is as old as mankind itself. Many spectacular attempts took place - and the same number of failures.But two centuries ago, the dream started to become reality - with the Lighter-than-Air Principle. In 1783, the brothers Montgolfiere managed the first successful flight with a balloon in Versailles. The passengers: a duck, a sheep and a cockerel. 70 years later the power of an engine lifted the balloon. With a simple steam engine of 3 horse powers the Frenchman Henri Giffard succeeded in not only raising the balloon, but also in manoeuvring it in the desired direction. The dirigible airship was born - at least as an idea.
|
| Material courtesy of Kids&Science Foundation |
Web space and technical support provided by Epina GmbH |
Last Update: 2004-Feb-29 |
