Zeppelin LZ 14

LZ 14
LZ 14 over Helgoland
General information
Type	H-class Rigid airship
National origin	Imperial Germany
Manufacturer	Zeppelin Luftschiffbau GmbH
Designer	Ludwig Dürr
Status	forced down in a thunderstorm in the North Sea
Primary user	Kaiserliche Marine
Number built	1
History
First flight	7 October 1912
Retired	9 September 1913

Zeppelin LZ 14, given the navy tactical number L 1, was a rigid airship built for the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy) to carry out reconnaissance over the North Sea and enemy territory. It was first flown on 7 October 1912. On 9 September 1913, LZ 14 was on a patrol over the North Sea when it encountered a thunderstorm, which resulted in a forced landing/crash. Fourteen crew-members drowned, becoming the world's first ever Zeppelin casualties.

Specifications (LZ 14 / L 1)

Data from Zeppelin : rigid airships, 1893-1940 ^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 20
• Capacity: 8,200 kg (18,078 lb) typical disposable load
• Length: 158 m (518 ft 4 in)
• Diameter: 14.9 m (48 ft 11 in)
  
• Fineness ratio: 10.6
• Volume: 22,740 m³ (803,000 cu ft) in 18 gas cells
• Empty weight: 17,900 kg (39,463 lb)
• Useful lift: 26,100 kg (57,500 lb)
• Powerplant: 3 × Maybach BY 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engines, 130 kW (180 hp) each
• Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propellers mounted on trusses on both sides, driven by chains

Performance

• Maximum speed: 76.32 km/h (47.42 mph, 41.21 kn)
• Range: 2,300 km (1,400 mi, 1,200 nmi)

Armament

• Guns: machine-guns in envelope, top gun positions, and gondolas

See also

• Helgoland Island air disaster
• List of Zeppelins

References

1. Brooks, Peter W. (1992). Zeppelin : rigid airships, 1893-1940 . Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. pp.  72-77. ISBN   1560982284.