Until the year 1916 the Zeppelin may be considered to have passed
through three stages of design. Of the twenty-five ships
constructed before the war, twenty-four were of the first type
and one of the second. Each type possessed certain salient
features, which, for simplicity, will be set out in the form of a
tabulated statement, and may be useful for comparison when our
own rigid airships are reviewed.
Stage 1.
Long parallel portion of hull with bluff nose and tail.
External keel with walking way.
Box rudders and elevators.
Two cars.
Four wing propellers.
Stage 2.
Long parallel portion of hull with bluff nose, tail portion
finer than in Stage I
Internal keel walking way.
Box rudders and elevators.
Three cars, foremost for control only.
Four wing propellers.
Stage 3.
Shorter parallel portion of hull framework, bluff nose and
tapering tail.
Internal keel walking way.
Balanced monoplane rudders and elevators.
Three cars, foremost for control only.
Two foremost cars close together and connected by
a canvas joint to look like one car.
Four engines and four propellers. One engine in forward
car driving pusher propeller. Three engines in after
car driving two wing and one pusher propeller.
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