Zeppelin LZ 5

{{Infobox Aircraft Begin

|name=Zeppelin LZ 5

|image=LZ 5 Göppingen 1909 .jpg

|caption=LZ 5 after hasty repairs from colliding with a pear tree in 1909.

}}{{Infobox Aircraft Type

|type=Type c experimental military rigid airship

|national origin=Imperial Germany

|manufacturer=Luftschiffbau Zeppelin

|designer=Ferdinand von Zeppelin

|first flight=26 May 1909

|introduced=

|retired=24 April 1910

|status= Destroyed in crash

|primary user=Imperial German Navy

|more users=

|produced=

|number built=1

|variants with their own articles=

}}

The Zeppelin LZ 5, tactical number Z II, was a German experimental military rigid airship constructed under the direction of Ferdinand von Zeppelin. After having made numerous successful trips, LZ 5 broke loose from its moorings in a storm and subsequentely crashed on 24 April 1910.{{cite web |url=http://zeppelin.mariwoj.pl/zep0a.htm |title=Sterowce Zeppelin 1900-39 |publisher=zeppelin.mariwoj.pl |access-date=25 November 2022}}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3TUVDAAAQBAJ&dq=Zeppelin+LZ-5+ZII&pg=PA4 |title=Zeppelins: German Airships 1900–40 |isbn=9781780965123 |access-date=25 November 2022|last1=Stephenson |first1=Charles |date=20 March 2012 |publisher=Bloomsbury }}{{cite web |url=http://www.aircraftinvestigation.info/Zeppelins.html |title=WW1 aircraft performance and weight investigation info |publisher=aircraftinvestigation.info |access-date=25 November 2022}}

Construction

LZ 5 was a C-Class zeppelin built by Luftschiffbau Zeppelin in Manzell near Friedrichshafen, Germany. It was laid down in 1908 and completed by 26 May 1909. The airship measured {{convert|136|m|ft|abbr=on}} in length and had a diameter of {{convert|13|m|ft|abbr=on}}. It was equipped with two Daimler engines, producing 105 hp and 77 kW each. The airship could reach a speed of 13.5m/s (48.6 km/h) and a maximum height of {{convert|1250|m|ft|abbr=on}}. LZ 5 had a gas volume of 15,000 m³ of hydrogen contained in the envelope of the airship. Its framework was made of the light alloy aluminium and covered by fabric skin. It was equipped with two gondolas and could carry a crew of eight.{{cite web |url=https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/lz-5/ |title=26 May 1909 |publisher=thisdayinaviation.com |access-date=25 November 2022}}

File:LZ 5 Göppingen 1909.jpg, Germany in 1909.]]

Career

LZ 5 conducted its first flight on 26 May 1909 at Lake Constance, Germany. It subsequently made a successful endurance journey from 29 May to 2 June 1909 under the command of Ludwig Dürr and carrying Ferdinand von Zeppelin and six of his employees, travelling the long distance between Lake Constance and Bitterfeld, Germany and back.{{cite web |url=https://www.airships.net/airship-people/ludwig-durr/ |title=Ludwig Dürr |publisher=airships.net |access-date=25 November 2022}}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J42SBwAAQBAJ&dq=Zeppelin+LZ-5+ZII&pg=PA73 |title=The Zeppelin |isbn=9781473827851 |access-date=25 November 2022|last1=Belafi |first1=Michael Belafi |date=31 March 2015 |publisher=Pen and Sword }} Its initial goal had been to reach Berlin, but due to fuel shortage and strong headwinds, the airship had to turn back. In total LZ 5 flew for 1,194 km in 38 hours and 40 minutes. However a small incident occurred during this flight, when the airship collided with a pear tree near Göppingen, Germany, rupturing three gas cells. The damage was quickly repaired with hop sticks and after Captain Dürr returned to the repaired ship after having gone off to buy a chocolate bar, the airship made it back to Lake Constance without further incident.{{cite web |url=https://timelineimages.sueddeutsche.de/gerippe-des-deutschen-zeppelin-luftschiffes-lz-5-1909_00201185 |title=Skeleton of the German Zeppelin airship 'LZ 5', 1909 |date=7 January 2022 |publisher=timelineimages.sueddeutsche.de |access-date=25 November 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://blog.zeppelin-museum.de/2019/05/29/vor-110-jahren-die-legendaere-birnbaumfahrt-des-lz-5/ |title=110 years ago: The legendary pear tree ride of the LZ 5 |date=29 May 2019 |publisher=blog.zeppelin-museum.de |access-date=25 November 2022}}

After LZ 5 was fully repaired, it was sold to the military administration in Cologne, Germany on 5 August 1909 and renamed Z II.{{cite web |url=https://www.luchtvaartgeschiedenis.be/content/de-duitse-luchtstrijdkrachten-1914 |title=De Duitse luchtstrijdkrachten in 1914 |date=2 April 2013 |publisher=luchtvaartgeschiedenis.be |access-date=25 November 2022}} During the airship's relocation from Lake Constance to Cologne for its military service, it was displayed at the International Aviation Exhibition in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. During its time in the army, Z II made a total of 16 more flights, covering a total distance of 2,478 km.{{cite web |url=http://www.zeppelinhistory.com/list-of-zeppelins/zeppelin-lz-5/ |title=Zeppelin LZ 5 |publisher=zeppelinhistory.com |access-date=25 November 2022}}

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1978-101-14, Zeppelin Katastrophe in Weilburg.jpg, Germany in 1910]]

Loss

On 24 April 1910 Z II was travelling from Bad Homburg, Germany to Cologne, Germany when a powerful storm arose, forcing the airship to land in an open field near Limburg an der Lahn, Germany. The airship was moored to a large farm trailer from the nearby Blumenrod farm, but the strong winds managed to break Z II loose from its moorings, after which it drifted for some distance without crew. The airship ultimately crashed into a hill named Webersberg near Weilburg, Germany.{{cite web |url=https://welweb.org/ThenandNow/zeppelinstein/germany.html#LZ-5 |title=Airship Monuments in Germany-page 1 |publisher=welweb.org |access-date=25 November 2022}} The crash had broken the airship in two and it was deemed a total loss. Z II was scrapped on site and 22 commemorative medals were minted from aluminium debris that was salvaged during the scrapping of the airship.{{cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/834 |title=ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 834 |publisher=aviation-safety.net |access-date=25 November 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://westfalen.museum-digital.de/object/5964 |title=Medaille: Aus dem Aluminium des bei Weilburg am 25. April 1910 verunglückten Luftschiffes LZ 5 - Z II |publisher=westfalen.museum-digital.de |access-date=25 November 2022}}

Specifications

{{Aircraft specs

|ref={{cite web |url=http://www.luftfahrtarchiv-koeln.de/grafzeppelin.htm |title=Graf Zeppelin in Cologne |publisher=luftfahrtarchiv-koeln.de |access-date=25 November 2022}}

|prime units? = met

|length m=136

|length ft=446

|length in=2

|dia m=13

|dia ft=42

|dia in=8

|volume m3=15,000

|volume ft3=530,000

|eng1 number=2

|eng1 name=Daimler engines

|eng1 kw=77

|eng1 hp=105

|max speed kmh=48.6

|max speed mph=30

|endurance=38 hours and 40 minutes}}

{{Gallery

|title=LZ 5

|width=160 | height=170

|align=center

|footer=

|File:LZ5 Bodensee c1909.jpg

|LZ 5 over Lake Constance in 1909.

|alt1=

|File:Zeppelin Z II Relic Medal (obv)-7331.jpg

|Front side of the commemorative medal minted in 1910.

|alt2=

|File:Zeppelin Z II Relic Medal (rev)-7332.jpg

|Back side of the commemorative medal minted in 1910.

|alt3=

|File:Flickr - …trialsanderrors - Zeppelin LZ-5 before launch, Manzell, Lake Constance, Germany, 1909.jpg

|LZ 5 leaving the floating balloon hall before its first flight over Lake Constance, Germany in May 1909.

|alt4=

}}

Zeppelin LZ 5

Construction

Career

Loss

Specifications

References

Further reading