Zeppelin (airship) interior

[bearx]

Hello people!

I found some photos and pictures showing Zeppelin airship controls. Can anyone describe what instruments and items there was? What was their use? I'll post pictures if somebody wants.

Thanks

[Ross_Moorhouse]

Moved this to here as it will pick up more replies.

[Aerowallah]

I'd love to see them!
Rgds

[bearx]

I'm afraid it's very common for you =) Sorted in aprox. order

1. Common photo of LZ-4 (http://www.dafkurse.de/lernwelt/ereignisse/lz1/lz1.htm), not very interesting for me

2. Postcard titled "German Zeppelin dropping Bombs over Liege"
(http://www.ww1-propaganda-cards.com/...ttacks(1).html), enougth realistic. What in this part - navigating instrument, bomb sight, observing telescope?


3. Postcard with searchlight at gondole (http://www.derrittmeister.com/productpages/2143.htm) Is this just propaganda, or artist's point? Usually pictures shows zeppelin in searchlights, not vice versa =) May be for landing purposes

4. Sketch noted "Crew of german zeppelin LZ-38 in gondole of their airship", original source unknown for me, taken from russian compilation book about dirigibles.


5. Delicious photo, zeppelin unknown - looks like previous sketch (http://www.aeroconservancy.com/hohenschreiber.htm). So many items, don't know what use of most of them.

6. L 30/LZ-62 detailed radio in Brussels museum (http://multisites.phpnet.org/alauren.../lz113_set.htm). So many thumblers, and what space under glass in right half?.. Also barometer and panel (for fuel and ballast drop I think?) on this site.

7. L 49/LZ-96 version of common gondole photo (http://www.earlyaviator.com/archive/images3/zephelm.jpg), as printed in "The Knighted Skies" by E. Jablonski.
It has (from left) bag-like thing; small wheel; steerwheel; some box below it; may be instrument panel behind it; then (sorry) joystick-like device and flat box - see my thumbnail; some device blured in front of them.


8. L-49/LZ-62 as exposed in Paris (http://multisites.phpnet.org/alauren...n/L49/l49a.htm), panels allready without instruments as I can see

9. L 54/LZ-99 two poor photos with "pour le merite" (http://www.zeppelin-museum.dk/D/germ.../zeppelin.html and http://www.aero-farm.com/museum/l54.JPG). As often, only steerwheel clearly seen.

10. L 71/LZ-113 rear gondole in Bourget museum (http://multisites.phpnet.org/alauren.../lz113_set.htm), machine telegraph, (reserve) steerwheel behind it, and some box at right from steerwheel.

11. Photo in one book,
also was published in russian magazine time ago, found it scanned version, last image at (http://ww1.iatp.org.ua/zeppfoto.htm )
Note says "Bombing sight and bomb-dropping control of dirigible".
Bomb-dropping thumblers like this present in Meersburg museum (http://estrid.de/luft/zeppelin/bombenabwurf.htm). BTW, there is "photo in photo" on this link, at least steerwheel clearly seen.

12. Photo in article "Inside of a Zeppelin" by Grey. I don't have full size.


13. Number of photos, scteches, drawings, even computer-modelling showing post-war (passenger) zeppelins' interior. Not important for me, but if there explanations of its use, that will helps me to understand war-time zeppelin controls - ...

What I want, is understand (in general) layout of zeppelin controls, use of main instruments, roles of crew at their positions. Can you help me? May be, some text descriptions exists, or drawings? Now ordering Douglas Robonson's "The Zeppelin in Combat"

[mossie]

Need to take care around setting out all Zeppelins as the same, the models were different in detail. However, the general arrangements were:

1. Forward position, helmsman, rudder control, equiped with compass, altimeter (Barograph), and inclinometers for lateral and fwd/aft balance.

2. Side position, left normally, elevator control and the ballast both water ballast and hygrogen volume. Inclinometers also fitted here as well. Not sure if any pressure gauges were fitted here for hygrogen bags as pressure is noted in a lot of reports form the flying of these huge ships.

3. Side position, right normally, was Captains position along with navigation equipment and engine telegraphs.

4. In a cabin behind the cockpit, radio equipment.

Interior images and detail is hard to come by as your've discovered. The B&W drawings, originally published in Illustrierte Zeitung, of which there are two, is about the best we have to date. The first is the forward control car and the second the aft engine car. These have also be republished in "A history of Aerial Warfare by John WR Taylor". This is your Russian part coloured drawing.

The gondola in the museum is a very late model and thus not reflective of most of the war period. But it does give some clues.

[bearx]

Very interesting information. Thank you.

Here little update in paragaph 11

Looks it mostly all information from public Internet in this topic. Where look further?

[bearx]

Here a new question. Find with Google some photos (at least http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...lr%3D%26sa%3DN)
Clearly seen gondole layout, telefunken but there aren't originals at site for now... Does anyone else have them?

[rammjaeger]

The source for Nr.4 is surely a German paper or book which published this drawing by the well-known German artist Felix Schwormstädt!

[bearx]

4. Finally find this page, http://users.skynet.be/verganeglorie...gsmissies2.htm

[jempie]

Hi!

I post here a principal drawing from the gondola, I have the original articles as published 1917 on the dismantling of L49 with many photos.
In reference to the canbin photo (on www.earlyaviator.com) from Rod Filan, which got from me certainly those L49 photos I guess, folowing on the command cabin....

From left to right :

The bag was the commanders parachute!
The the circle panel left was I accept the command for the motorgondolas.
Stop, speed, forward, afterwards...etc....
I have seen such one from the Graf Zeppelin or Hindenburg at Friedrichshafen.
Than in front the DIRECTION rudder stearing wheel....in fromt of this between the wheel and windows, is the COMPASS!
To right vertical, the bombsoght and enxt to it the bombrelease installation (a box with switches!)
Right of it was the card/document table
Fully left more inwards this gondola was the ALTITUDE stearing wheel!
Other instruments where for sure, speed control and altitude control instruments!
There was contact between the commend car and all motorgondolas!
Notice thus that between the motorgondolapart of command car and the command car itself there was no opening, but a closed panel...
Probably to prevent disturbations from the motors (electricity sparks) on the wireless station!

This was indeed so a bit what you had on all zeppelins on devises....
if it was now an older model or a newer model....
Wireless stations you had already from 1911 on for more!
The first use about 1911 was on those early DELAG airships!
(Schwaben-Sachsen-Victoria Luise for more!)
Its clear that also they wireless installations were present into the army and navy airships as well!

VBR

Jempie