FREE ESSAY ON HINDENBURG

HINDENBURG

outline
Thesis: The Hindenburg has contributed to the history of aircraft as well as
investigations.
I. (opening paragraph)
A. attention getter and relate it to Hindenburg
B. thesis statement
II. Airship development
A. Count von Zeppelin's first rigid airships
B. Graf Zeppelin
III. Paul von Hindenburg: The man that the famous airship was named after.
A. childhood summary
B. time in German army
C. General Hindenburg
D. President Hindenburg
E. later years
IV. The Hindenburg
A. specifications
B. appearances and travel time
C. the explosion
V. Explanations of the explosion
A. hydrogen theory
B. coated inner skin theory
C. sabotage theory
VI. conclusion
A. Hindenburg, king of rigid airships and the last of them.
B. aircraft has changed because of it
C. investigations have changed because of it.
D. restate thesis 
the hindenburg's history and investigation
A 747, O.J. Simpson, the Goodyear blimp and the shooting at Columbine
High School all have one thing in common. The Hindenburg has contributed to
these things in one way or another. The 747 is a modern aircraft that is very
popular in commercial airlines. O.J. Simpson is a man that was charged with the
murder of two humans; he was proven not guilty in one court and guilty in
another. The shooting at Columbine High School was an occurrence, just over a
month ago, in which two students destroyed their high school while killing 15
people. Have you found the connection yet? As you read on, the connection will
be clear. The Hindenburg has contributed to the history of aircraft as well as
investigations.
The rigid airship took no time to develop into useful source of
transportation ("Hindenburg" video 1). Count Von Zeppelin was the first to create
rigid airships (video 1). His idea was to fill many airbags with hydrogen, enclose
them in an aerodynamic rigid structure and have onboard engines (video 1). He
built the LZ1 and flew it, July 2, 1900, two years before the Wright Brothers' first
flight (video 1). The Zeppelin company began developing and expanding (video
1). They offered sight seeing tours, but were however, very expensive (video 1). 
By 1914, the Zeppelins had carried over 10,000 people over 100,000 miles (video
1). All along the success, the Zeppelins were soon used for a military purpose
(video 1). In 1928 the Graf Zeppelin took to the sky (video 1). It's most dramatic
fleet was its flight around the world (video 1). It started in America and it's first
stop was 7,000 miles later in Tokyo, Japan (video 1). It completed the flight
landing in Lakehurst, New Jersey (video 1). It's pilot, Hugo Eckner, became one
of the most famous people in the world (video 1). The Graf Zeppelin began
carrying passengers from Brazil to Germany on a routine basis (video 1). Both
America and Great Britain made a number of rigid airships for different purposes;
none of them would be as big or famous as the Hindenburg (video 1).
To better understand the overall idea of the largest rigid airship ever built,
you must know about the man it was named after. Paul von Hindenburg was
born in Poznan, Poland on to the cadet school in Berlin ("Hindenburg" CD-ROM). 
At the age of 19, he enrolled in the Prussian army (CD). Paul experienced the
Seven Weeks' War and the Franco-Prussian War in only a five year period (CD). 
Beginning in 1871, Hindenburg served 40 years in the German army (CD). He
became general in 1905 and in 1914, accepted the command of the German
Eighth Army on the Russian Border (CD). After an overwhelming victory over
Russian troops at Tannenberg, he was promoted to field marshal (CD), He
became responsible for the direction of all German forces (CD). In March 1917,
he established the "Hindenburg Line", which was not broken by Allied armies until
October 1918 (CD). He retired from the army in 1919 (CD). he went on, in 1925,
to serve as the president of the German Republic for 7 years (CD). It was
decided by Hitler, to name the large rigid airship, The Hindenburg, in memory of
Germany's honorable ex-president. Hindenburg was a fearless leader worthy of
airship title.
The Hindenburg was 70 times the volume of a present day blimp and flew
at 80 miles per hour ("Hindenburg" video 1). It was about the length of three
football fields and cruised at an altitude of 1000 feet (video 1). The power plants
on the Hindenburg were 4 Dimler-Benz, sixteen cylinder high speed diesel
engines (Dick 85). Each engine produced 1300 horsepower for take off, and 850
horsepower for cruising (85). Inside the Hindenburg was a dining room that could
seat 50 ("Hindenburg" video 1). It had 25, 2 person, cabins (video 1). There
were observatories where passengers could enjoy a grand view (video 1). The
ride was very quiet (video 1). The first of the engines were mounted 90 feet away
from the passenger area and there would be no sounds of vibrations (video 1). 
The Olympic rigs were painted on the side of the airship for it's appearance at the
1936 Berlin Olympics (video 1). The Hindenburg soon became the tool of Nazis
making propaganda tours throughout Germany (video 1). The naval base in
Lakehurst, New Jersey became a regular hanger for the Hindenburg (video 1). 
"After making ten transatlantic crossings in regular commercial service in 1936, it
was destroyed by fire in 1937 when it was landing at Lakehurst, New Jersey, with
97 passengers and crew; 35 people on board and one crew member were killed."
(Bryan 1)
After the explosion, investigations began to find to cause of it. Hydrogen
was the first blamed and it's believed by many to be the true cause of the
disaster. "After a long investigation and many mysterious allegations, it was
finally determined that the Hindenburg exploded and crashed due to the
combustion of the hydrogen when it touched the mooring tower and a spark
jumped catching the skin on fire. The whole dirigible exploded and crashed in
seconds. Fortunately, out of the hundreds on board, only 37 died. After the
static tragedy, all lighter than air crafts were filled with helium which is
nonflammable." (Waters 2) But still there was no real explanation of how the
hydrogen, which was contained in air tight lining, was freed. The blue ribbon
panel stated that the free hydrogen could have resulted from a leaking gas cell or
trapped gas that was not properly vented during the weigh-off procedure (Dick
148). This conclusion was accepted by most people (148). Many people were
frightened with the whole idea of hydrogen. "Experience shows that hydrogen
can be used safely, although it is often perceived as a particularly dangerous fuel. 
The perception is probably largely due to the Hindenburg disaster, one of the rare
accidents involving an energy source that was caught on film. Certainly, the
public must be convinced that hydrogen can be used safely before it is introduced
on a wide scale." (Williams 16) Many people had no faith in hydrogen being safe
after the incident. Hydrogen, proved here to be the cause of the Hindenburg
disaster, could, however, be used as an alternative fuel (Brown 3). It is no more
hazardous than gasoline, safer than propane, and is on the same level as natural
gas in many ways (3). 
New theories of the disaster later developed. Hydrogen could not have
been the reason of the explosion (Brown 2). There are many areas that prove
this (2). The disaster shows the Hindenburg break into three pieces; if it had
been a hydrogen fire this would not have happened (3). Also the footage shows
a downward burning; and hydrogen only burns upward (3). In addition, hydrogen
burns in a colorless flame; and the footage shows a very large , visible, bright
flame (3). William D. Van Vorst proves that the coated of the Hindenburg caused
the disaster (3). The substance used to coat it's skin was flammable but also
made the fabric more durable (3). It was a combination of iron oxide, cellulose
acetate, and aluminum powder (3). Also the way the skin was attached to the
frame allowed a large electrostatic charge to build up (3). Resulting from
electrostatic activity, the skin became charged and passed the current through
the skin to the frame (3). As the current built up, the skin and it's highly energetic
doping constituents were ignited, setting off the disaster (3). Other issues came
up as possibilities. Many people believed that the Hindenburg explosion was
caused by static electricity and hydrogen, but there was a chance of sabotage
because it was a Nazi ship ("Hindenburg" video 2). The fire was started on it's
rear end which displayed the Nazi swastika on the fins (video 2). Could this be
the truth? Other sources disagree. "The Nazis could easily have provided
fictious sabotage evidence and "framed" anyone they desired. It would have
been a simple matter for them to do this-as they have in the past." (Dick 150)
The Hindenburg was the king of rigid airships and also the last of them. 
"The rigid airship no longer exists; none has been built since the 1930s. The
demise is usually blamed on the Hindenburg disaster although that had been
preceded by the loss of a number of American, British, French and Italian rigid. 
All airships today are non-rigid types, popularly know as blimps." (Layman 3) 
Aircraft has developed since then and has improved because of it. Investigations
have changed since then also because of it's so many predictions and scientific
possibilities. The Hindenburg has contributed to the history of aircraft and
investigations.
works sited
Brown, David. "Hydrogen Didn't Cause Hindenburg Fire, UCLA Engineer,
Former NASA Researcher Find." UCLA NEWS (1998) 
(http://engineer.ea.ucla.edu/releases/blimp.htm
Bryan, Leslie A. "Airship" Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia (1998) CD-ROM
Cambou, Don. The Hindenburg. A&E Home Video (1996) (2 tape set)
Dick, Harold G. with Robinson, Douglas H. The Golden Age of the Great
Passenger Airships, Graf Zeppelin & Hindenburg. Washington D.C.:Smithsonian
Institution Press (1985)
--- "Hindenburg, Paul von" Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia (1998) CD-ROM
Layman, R.D. "Dirigibles, Airships, Zeppelins, and Blimps." Trenches on the
Web-special http://www.worldwar1.com/stzepp.htm
Waters, Cynthia. "Military Intrigue or Static Disasters?" Hindenburg and Flight
800 http://www.edsjornal.com/articles/disaster.htm
Williams, Robert H. "Powering The Future" 1999 SIRS Mandarin, Inc.---SIRS
Government Reporter Spring 1999