Ship
of Dreams :
What
would you think if you looked up in the sky and saw a ship, 804 feet
long, gliding silently overhead? Leonardo Da Vinci may have captured
the thought when he said, “When once you have tasted flight
you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward”…
The time is 1936. The Berlin Olympics have just been completed. Global
politics are changing and technological transitions are beginning
to emerge that would bring one of the most dynamic forms of transportation
to an end – the airship…
However, on this day in 1936, a moving shadow crossing the streets
of Manhattan causes you to look up and see the largest man made object
ever to fly, The Hindenburg, cruises gracefully over the skyline on
its way to the Naval Air Station at Lakehurst, New Jersey –
another Atlantic crossing successfully completed. An American Airline
Ford Tri motor can be seen trailing behind in the distance while a
young Navy pilot guides his Stearman trainer in for a closer look;
like a dolphin trying to find the bow wave of this gentle leviathan.
Even without the infamous incident on May 6, 1937, airship travel
would not have grown in popularity as the ability of airplanes to
economically carry large numbers of passengers, vast distances, in
a timely fashion, would become the dominant craft of choice for the
next generation of globalization.
However, while crossing the Atlantic flying at 500 miles an hour,
high up in the Troposphere and arriving at your destination on the
same day you left, in time for business or pleasure, is an exhilarating
experience – it can not compare to the luxury of the same trip
in an airship. A pampered two day flight, with private sleeping quarters,
chef’s preparing gourmet cuisine, stewards providing personal
service. You breathe in fresh air among the clouds while watching
the shadow of your giant airship be cast over the waves below, observe
a pack of icebergs or a pod of whales in their natural environment.
Then, as you approach your destination, you gather on the observation
deck once again to actually hear and smell the sites of Manhattan,
Rio de Janeiro or Frankfurt… you could almost communicate with
the ground crew as they helped anchor the sky ship at its scheduled
destination.
Millions of miles were flown and thousands of passengers experienced
this unique form of air transportation.
Unlike an airplane that utilizes shear power combined with wing and
fuselage design; an airship had to be designed to become part of its
environment to maneuver. As a result of this characteristic, airship
construction and operation required expertise that could be considered
completely different than the standard protocols of aircraft design
and operations of the time – in other words, airship design
and operation was truly a “State of the Art” phenomenon...
Consider the design parameters – building a “ship”
800 feet long capable of carrying 100 people in a lighter than air
mode required developing new materials and incorporating new engineering
technology. Flying an airship required great skill, discipline and
commitment. Without the ability to rely on and apply power to maneuver,
the crew had to interact as a well coordinated team to complete their
journey.
The Captain had to have the ability to feel his way through the air.
Weather forecasting and monitoring technology and instrumentation
were not as sophisticated as they are today – there were definitely
no satellites for navigational feedback. Air currents were treacherous,
you had to manage temperature and pressure changes without affecting
the critical balance to your lifting gas or ballast…
It is this kind of dedication to excellence that we commissioned Marii
Chernev, (an internationally known aviation/marine artist), to capture
the wonder and mystique of airship travel in this release of “Hindenburg
– Ship of Dreams”. We also honor the vision and accomplishments
of Dr. Hugo Eckener one of the most famous of airship icons, who once
said:
“Due to its light construction and the vulnerability inherent
in its large size, it can thrive and exist only in an atmosphere of
unclouded peace…. It is like one of those opalescent butterflies,
which fascinate as they flutter in the summer sunshine, but seek a
sheltered corner whenever a storm blows up. Often, when people greet
it so enthusiastically as it appears in the heavens, I have felt as
if they believed they were seeing in it a sign and symbol of lasting
peace, or at least a symbol of the universal dream of lasting peace
among peoples”*
An
exciting component of this offering, signed by the artist - is also
the signature of Werner Franz. Herr Franz is the last surviving crew
member of the Hindenburg. He was a cabin boy on the Hindenburg and
continues to enjoy many incredible memories of the people he met and
places he traveled during his employment with Deutsche Zeppelin Reederei…
he started signing the prints on May 6, 2004, the 67th anniversary
of the 1937 accident, while attending dedication ceremonies for a
new wing of the Lakehurst Historical Society museum along with commemorative
ceremonies for all those who severed in LTA history.
Airships continue to be an everyday part of our lives, primarily through
the advertising world. However, the airship’s awesome lifting
technology could continue to benefit many heavy lift applications.
This capability is in the research phases in several countries.
In all probability, the elegance of traveling in an airship as grand
and luxurious as the Hindenburg will not happen again – this
is why we wanted to commemorate the dedication of those individuals
who designed, operated and traveled in this kind of vehicle with Marii’s
painting and Werner’s signature.
We thank you in advance for your purchase…
*Reliving
the Era of the Great Airships, Hindenburg an Illustrated History ,by
Rick Archbold, Madison Press Books, Toronto, Ontario, 1994, page 141
