Re: Blimp Bombing

"K.H.Ranitzsch" wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Brian Burger" <yh728@victoria.tc.ca>
> > Hindenburg was over 800ft long; modern plans, using composites
instead of
> > metals, have postulated quite buildable 1000ft long airships! More
trivia:
> > Everyone 'knows' that airships are dangerous - but the 13 passengers
> > killed when the Hindenburg went up were the *only* paying passengers
every
> > killed in an airship accident...
>
> The Hindenburg fire was quite spectacular. However, it is now
generally
> acknowledged that the main reason for its quick spread was not the
hydrogen
> filling, but the inflammable aluminum doping which had been used to
paint
> the ship's skin.
>
> While hydrogen-oxygen mixes are quite explosive, hydrogen gas as such
is so
> light that any leakeing gas will drift upward, taking any flames with
it. So
> a hydrogen fire tends to be a limited threat to its surroundings.
>
> Greetings
> Karl Heinz

As designed, the Hindenburg would have been even safer.  The gas bags
consisted
of two nested cells, the inner hydrogen cell was surrounded by a helium
cell.
Although, not as safe as pure helium, it could lift more and the
hydrogen would
be somewhat isolated from oxygen, and the hydrogen bag itself would be
proof
against incendiary rounds.  Clad the Hindenburg in kevlar, instead of
thermite
(an exaggeration, but not that big of one), and you have a very safe
craft.	The
whole thing was scuttled by the refusal of the US to sell the required
helium.

Whatever happened to the Hindenburg's sister ship?

The biggest safety issue with lighter than air craft is ground handling.
Airships are very large, so they catch alot of wind and they really do
weigh
nothing, so they are easily victimized by winds and are readily
destroyed by
windstorms.  Wind gusting on such a large structure has caused them to
fail in