Japan buys first new Zeppelin

[Taro Toporific]

[Taro Toporific]

Mighty Zeppelin bombs London
21/06/2004 / Telegraph.co.uk
Zeppelin flying in Europe to attract more tourists to Japan
Japan Today, Japan - Jun 17, 2004
PARIS— A 75-meter-long zeppelin, scheduled to travel from Europe to Japan, flew Thursday over Versailles near Paris, taking part in Japan's campaign to lure ...

[kurohinge1]

See also: Marineboy's Marine Bus

The new craft ... is filled with helium...

BTW there's an interesting documentary on what is now considered the cause of the Hindenburg disaster ...

... In many years of research, a NASA scientist at Cape Canaveral has found proof that neither the hydrogen in the hull nor a bomb was to blame, but the fabric of the Hindenburg's outer skin and a new protective coating. A single spark of static electricity was enough to make it burn like dry leaves. The "infallible" German engineers had designed a flying bomb just waiting to explode ...

[kurohinge1]

For those (both of you!) wondering what happened to Japan's Zeppelin ...

new route via freighter

following Nippon Airship Corporation's decision in late August to break off its Japan-bound Zep NT transfer flight from Finland, the former Zep NT airship Bodensee has arrived back at its previous home base in Friedrichshafen on September 19, 2004 ...
... transfer plans now call for a new course whereby the airship is to be flown to the south of Italy by mid-November and from where during December, the Japan-bound airship will commence its ocean voyage aboard a special vessel allowing it to be stowed within a dock-like enclosure ...
... The month-long sea voyage was reported to take the vessel-bound airship through the eastern Mediterranean and Suez Canal into the Indian Ocean and through the far-eastern archipelago before reaching its destination in the Land of the Rising Sun, ... in ample time for its long-planned aerial appearance at EXPO 2005 in Aichi, Japan, held March 25 through September 25. Following EXPO 2005, NAC is expected to press their Zep NT airship even more fully into sightseeing and advertising flight service.

The Special Vessel?

Meanwhile ...

Steve Fossett Sets New Zeppelin Speed Record

Berlin - American adventurer Steve Fossett broke the speed record for airships in a flight with a German company's new-look Zeppelin, the manufacturer said on Wednesday.

Fossett, together with co-pilot Hans-Paul Stroehle, ... averaged 111km/h over a 2,000m stretch - half with the wind behind them and half in the other direction, the company said ...

Hans-Paul Stroehle

[Taro Toporific]

during December, the Japan-bound airship will commence its ocean voyage aboard a special vessel allowing it to be stowed within a dock-like enclosure ... ....

Dang I couldn't find the "special vessel" for hauling the Zeppelin either.

I did find a great Basecap mit Leder-Visier, mit Logo der Deutschen Zeppelin for EUR 15,00.

[vir-jin]

thank you for the deutsches zeppelin race cap I could get homesick, what a nice design, all aircraft blue!

I should have bet on that! count zeppelin thank you, we will be going to have body count soon!

[Taro Toporific]

For those (both of you!) wondering what happened to Japan's Zeppelin ...new route via freighter

Zeppelin heads for Nagoya to promote Aichi Expo
KOBE, Japan -Jan 14 The world's largest airship, the Zeppelin NT, leaves Kobe in western Japan for Nagoya, central Japan, on Jan. 14 after a test flight earlier in the day to publicize the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi Prefecture.

[goldenboy_ge]

I love German tech stuff. :P

[Mulboyne]

Asahi: Blimps to the rescue when quake victims are trapped

Once seen as a novel way to advertise, blimps could soon be in the business of search and rescue. Government and private-sector researchers are working on a system in which the airships would locate survivors in collapsed buildings using special equipment that receives distress messages via radio waves. The system, which is being developed with earthquakes in mind, would require homes to have the radio equipment installed. These devices are fitted with microphones. The device automatically activates when there is a strong vibration or blackout, sending automatic voice messages, "Is anyone there?" It can then pick up voices of survivors who respond to the message.

[kurohinge1]

Asahi: Blimps to the rescue when quake victims are trapped ...

... The researchers-a joint team from the nonprofit organization International Rescue System Institute (IRS)]
Not to mention almost unlimited time hovering over the area, as well as potentially huge lifting potential if airships the size of the Graf Zeppelin* are made again.

And given the name of one the organisations involved ("International Rescue ..."), wouldn't the uniforms have to be:



* Graf Zeppelin -
Length: 776 feet / 236.53 meters
Max. speed: 80 mph / 128 km/h

... The global flight ... from Lakehurst [New Jersey] back to Friedrichshafen, to Tokyo and then to San Francisco, Los Angeles and back to Lakehurst. Although the Graf was not the first aircraft to circle the globe, it was by far the fastest. What took months for a British military, heavy bomber to do, with many breakdowns and hardships, the Graf did in 12 days and 11 minutes in comfort and style with a full passenger load over much previously uncharted land. The trip was a complete success and the world, particularly the U.S., caught Zeppelin Mania. Once safely moored at Lakehurst, Dr. Eckener was treated to a ticker-tape parade in his honor in New York City and the news papers would dub him the "Magellan of the Air" ...