01. Jan. 2006 Today we take it for granted that we can send
messages across the Atlantic in a few seconds. But in 1929 when
the Graf Zeppelin managed to fly around the earth in 12 days it
was a sensation beyond compare. A few years later scheduled
services were established between Europe and America. In that
way it took merely three days for a letter to cross the
Atlantic. Previously, steamships had been the only possibility,
but with the Graf Zeppelin the time of transmission was
shortened by an entire week. The Airship is Loaded with ... The
special design of the airships made them lighter than air. The
enormous hull contained large gas cells filled with hydrogen - a
highly inflammable gas which is lighter than air, but also
difficult to se-cure and dangerous to handle. The higher weight
of the airship, the more hydrogen is needed to ele-vate it. With
both crew, passengers, mail, and cargo on board a light design
was required to keep the size of airship within reason. The Graf
Zeppelin measured 236.6 m and