Engineering:Zeppelin LZ 14

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LZ 14
LZ 14 over Helgoland
General information
TypeH-class Rigid airship
National originImperial Germany
ManufacturerZeppelin Luftschiffbau GmbH
Designer
Management and usageKaiserliche Marine
Number built1
History
First flight7 October 1912
Retired9 September 1913

Zeppelin LZ 14, given the navy tactical number L 1, was a rigid airship built for the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy) to carry out reconnaissance over the North Sea and enemy territory. It was first flown on 7 October 1912. On 9 September 1913, LZ 14 was on a patrol over the North Sea when it encountered a thunderstorm, which resulted in a forced landing/crash. Fourteen crew-members drowned, becoming the world's first ever Zeppelin casualties.

Specifications (LZ 14 / L 1)

Data from Zeppelin : rigid airships, 1893-1940[1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 20
  • Capacity: 8,200 kg (18,078 lb) typical disposable load
  • Length: 158 m (518 ft 4 in)
  • Diameter: 14.9 m (48 ft 11 in)
  • Fineness ratio: 10.6
  • Volume: 22,740 m3 (803,000 cu ft) in 18 gas cells
  • Empty weight: 17,900 kg (39,463 lb)
  • Useful lift: 26,100 kg (57,500 lb)
  • Powerplant: 3 × Maybach BY 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engines, 130 kW (180 hp) each
  • Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propellers mounted on trusses on both sides, driven by chains

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 76.32 km/h (47.42 mph, 41.21 kn)
  • Range: 2,300 km (1,400 mi, 1,200 nmi)

Armament

  • Guns: machine-guns in envelope, top gun positions, and gondolas

See also

  • Helgoland Island air disaster
  • List of Zeppelins

References

  1. Brooks, Peter W. (1992). Zeppelin : rigid airships, 1893-1940. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. pp. 72-77. ISBN 1560982284. https://archive.org/details/zeppelinrigidair00broo_303.