Zeppelin LZ 52
{{Infobox aircraft
| name = LZ 52 (L 18)
| image = File:L 18.jpg
| type = Zeppelin P Class
| national origin = {{GER Empire}}
| manufacturer = Luftschiffbau Zeppelin
| first flight = 3 April 1915 (lead ship: LZ 38)
| introduction = 6 November 1915D. H. Robinson: Deutsche Marine-Luftschiffe 1912–1918. Mittler, Hamburg/Berlin/Bonn 2005, p. 400.
| produced =
| number built =
}}
LZ 52 was a German airship built by Luftschiffbau Zeppelin for the German Imperial German Navy and made its first flight on 3 April 1915. It was the 52nd Zeppelin constructed and the 18th operated by the Imperial German Navy under the tactical designation L 18. It belonged to the German P-class series of military airships. L 18 had the shortest service life of any Navy Zeppelin.D. H. Robinson: Deutsche Marine-Luftschiffe 1912–1918. Mittler, Hamburg/Berlin/Bonn 2005, p. 139.
History
The airship was built at the Löwental Zeppelin facility, along with five other P-class Zeppelins.M. Griehl: Deutsche Luftschiffe seit 1871. Motorbuch, Stuttgart 2010, p. 78. It made its first flight on 3 November 1915 and was commissioned three days later. It was commanded by naval reserve Captain Lieutenant {{ill|Max Dietrich|de|Max Dietrich (Kapitän)}}. During its short operational life, L 18 completed only four flights.P. Meyer: Luftschiffe – Die Geschichte der deutschen Zeppeline. Bernard & Graefe, Bonn 1996, p. 60. One of these was a transfer flight from Löwental on Lake Constance to Tønder, covering over 1,000 kilometers. Due to poor weather conditions, a stopover was made on 4 November 1915 at an army airship hangar in Hanover. The journey to Tønder continued on 16 November 1915.
Fate
On 17 November 1915, while refilling its hydrogen gas at the "Toska" hangar in the Tønder airship base, a leaking pipe caused a fire to break out. The fire spread to L 18, which was completely destroyed.M. Griehl: Deutsche Luftschiffe seit 1871. Motorbuch, Stuttgart 2010, p. 79. One crew member and six workers were killed in the accident,{{Cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/858 |title=Accident Zeppelin LZ.52 L.18 |website=Aviation Safety Network |date=20 November 2020 |access-date=16 February 2024}} and seven others were injured. L 18 was the first of five Zeppelins to be destroyed by fire in the "Toska" twin hangar.
Specifications
- Lifting gas volume: 31,900 m³ hydrogen
- Length: 163.5 m
- Diameter: 18.7 m
- Payload: 15.4 tonnes
- Engines: Four six-cylinder Maybach HSLu engines, each 240 PS (177 kW)
- Maximum speed: 26.7 m/s
- Range: 2,150 km
- Service ceiling: 3,900 m
- Armament: At least 3 × 8 mm Maxim machine guns
- Crew: 19 men
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- Manfred Griehl: Deutsche Luftschiffe seit 1871. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2010, ISBN 978-3-613-03226-2, pp. 78–79.
- Peter Meyer: Luftschiffe – Die Geschichte der deutschen Zeppeline. Bernard & Graefe,*
{{Zeppelin aircraft}}
{{Aviation accidents and incidents in 1915}}
Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1915
Category:Accidents and incidents involving balloons and airships
Category:Aircraft first flown in 1915
Category:Military airships of World War I