Hindenburg Model

Photos: Nose / Frame / Gas Bag / Aloft

Statistics of Hindenburg Model

• Scale: 1:100
• Length: 245 cm (8' 1/2")
• Width: 42 cm (16.5")
• Weight prior to helium: 225 gm (8 oz.)
• Gas Volume: 0.24 m3 (8.5 ft3)
• Superstructure: 165 m (550') of 0.5mm (0.020") carbon fiber rod
• Bracing: Sewing thread
• Gas Bags: 4µ (0.16mil) aluminized Mylar (polyester film}
• Outer Covering: 2µ (0.08mil) clear Mylar
• Motors: 4 electric [Knight & Pridham KP-00]
• Propellers: 4-blade, 8 cm (3.2 in.) diameter
• Batteries: 2 CR2 Lithium 3 volt
• Servo: WES Technik 2.4
• Receiver: Alpex Hobby APR-4FM
• Electronic Speed Controller: West Coast Blimps & Electronics
• Time to build: Approximately 1k hour
• Cost of materials: Approximately $1k

Statistics of Real Hindenburg

• Length: 245 m (804')
• Width: 42 m (135')
• Weight prior to hydrogen: 220 metric tons (242 tons)
• Gas Volume: 200,000 m3 (7,062,000 ft3)
• Superstructure: Nickel-Aluminum alloy (Duralumin) girders
• Bracing: Ramie cord (finer than hemp fiber)
• Gas Bags: Cotton cloth laminated with cow stomach lining (Goldbeaters Skin)
• Outer Covering: Cotton cloth doped with cellulose acetate & aluminum powder
• Motors: 4 Daimler-Benz V16 Diesel; hp each: 1,320 max; 900 cruise
• Propellers: 4-blade, 6 m diameter (20 ft.)
• Time to Build: 4.5 years
• Paying Passenger Capacity: 50
• Crew: 50 - 60
• First Flight: 4 March 1936
• Flew 21 times across the North Atlantic
• Flew 14 times between Germany and Rio de Janeiro
• Flew over 200,000 miles and carried over 1600 passengers
• Last Flight: 6 May 1937; 36 people died (22 crew members, 13 passengers, 1 ground crew)

mil = one thousandths of an inch

µ = micron = one millionth of a meter = 1/1000 of a millimeter = 39 millionths of an inch