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Zeppelin LZ 14

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

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)

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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

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References

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