We are now so used to the sight of aircraft flying over our towns and cities that it’s hard for us to imagine the impact that the first Zeppelins had. These huge silver, cigar-shaped aircraft, quietly purring along, at about 1000 feet above ground level, must have looked like something from another planet.
For the privileged few, they ushered in the golden age of air travel. Cruising along gently, enjoying all the comfort and luxuries of the finest hotels, they gave their passengers a truly unique experience.
Join Tony Brayin the Museum for a fascinating daytime talk to find out about the early days of Graf von Zeppelin, as he created his first airships, many of which were lost to sudden changes of weather over the Bodensee. The peace of Europe was shattered in 1914 when the First World War erupted. Quickly the Zeppelins were adapted for military purposes, becoming the first strategic bombers, and giving the German navy an inexpensive force-multiplier over the Royal Navy.
After 1918 the Zeppelin organisation was forced to share with the victors the many production and design secrets it had developed over the years. But the British and American copies were not as successful as hoped. Later the Zeppelin organisation was allowed to build and put into service two new, huge aircraft – the Graf Zeppelin and the Hindenburg. Tony will explore the history of these aircraft and look at how the Nazi Party used Graf Zeppelin for propaganda after they'd come to power.
Tony will also cover the brief histories of the R100 and R101, two British built airships, and the huge hangars constructed at Cardington to house them. He will also share the stories of the two US Navy airships, U.S.S. Akron (ZRS-4) and U.S.S. Macon (ZRS-5) which were designed for long-range scouting in support of fleet operations.
Book your ticket by clicking on the button below. This talk will not be available to view online.
The content of talks are based on the research and views of the guest speakers.
The Museum is an independent charity and all proceeds from this event go towards supporting the work we do in preserving the history of British Army aviation.