Airship hangar
Encyclopedia
Airship
s are sheltered in airship hangars during construction and sometimes also for regular operation, particularly at bad weather conditions. Rigid airship
s always needed to be based in airship hangar
s because weathering was a serious risk.
and Arthur Constantin Krebs constructed their first airship “La France
”.
Hangar “Y” is one of the few remaining hangars in Europe.
The construction of the first operational rigid airship
LZ1 by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin
started in 1899 in a floating hangar on Lake Constance
at Manzell today part of Friedrichshafen
. The floating hangar turned into the direction of the wind on its own and so it was easier to move the airship into the hangar exactly against the wind.
For the same reason later rotating hangars were built at Biesdorf (today part of Berlin
) and at Cuxhaven-Nordholz in Germany
.
Already before the First World War there were transportable tent constructions as hangars for smaller airships. They were quite common in the US at fairgrounds or exhibitions. The American Melvin Vaniman
constructed big tent hangars in France
particularly for the French army.
This development started at the Zeppelin plant in Friedrichshafen
before the First World War, continued through the war with dozens of hangars for construction of big rigid airship
s and their operation all over Germany and the occupied territories. In the 1920s and 30's even bigger hangars for the new LZ 129 Hindenburg
class airships were built at Friedrichshafen, Frankfurt
and Santa Cruz
(part of Rio de Janeiro
) in Brazil
, the only of all those hangars which still exists (see article in Portuguese Wikipedia).
Also in the UK there was a rigid airship program during the First World War. This required the big construction sheds in Barrow-in-Furness
, Inchinnan
, Barlow
and Cardington
and the rigid airship war stations at Longside, East Fortune
, Howden
, Pulham
(Norfolk) and Kingsnorth
.
Today, only the two impressing Hangars of the former Royal Airship Works, in Cardington
, Bedfordshire
remain, where the R101
had been built. The No.1 Cardington hangar is original, but extended; and the No.2 hangar was relocated to Cardington from Pulham in 1928.
few big hangars had been built, because with the “Spies” there was only one attempt to build a rigid airship. Nevertheless at the end of the First World War an airship
station for rigid airship
s was built in Cuers
-Pierrefeu by adding the parts of smaller hangars to two big ones.
At the airport at Paris
-Orly
two concrete hangars were built between 1923 and 1926. Planned by the famous engineer Eugene Freyssinet
, the 300 m long buildings were an important innovation according construction and aesthetic of the design.
None of the big French hangars exist anymore, while a few smaller ones still are there.
In the USA big hangars started in 1921 with Hangar No 1 at Lakehurst
Naval Airship Station (NAS). Additional hangars, which housed the and , exist in Akron, Ohio
(the Goodyear Airdock
, 1929) and Sunnyvale, California
(Hangar One, Moffett Federal Airfield, 1932). The ships were constructed in Akron. The Akron was based in Lakehurst while the Macon was based at Moffet Field. These three hangars still exist, as do a number of airship hangars built during the Second World War . At that time, the era of big rigid airships had already ended, but those hangars could house several smaller naval blimp
s at a time.
”.
For the needs of the rather small blimps quite a number of mostly simple hangars exist around the world today.
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
s are sheltered in airship hangars during construction and sometimes also for regular operation, particularly at bad weather conditions. Rigid airship
Rigid airship
A rigid airship is a type of airship in which the envelope retained its shape by the use of an internal structural framework rather than by being forced into shape by the pressure of the lifting gas within the envelope as used in blimps and semi-rigid airships.Rigid airships were produced and...
s always needed to be based in airship hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
s because weathering was a serious risk.
History
Early hangars
The first real airship hangar was built as Hangar “Y” at Chalais Meudon near Paris in 1879 where the engineers Charles RenardCharles Renard
Charles Renard was a French military engineer. After the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71 he started work on the design of air ships at the French army aeronautical department. Together with Arthur C...
and Arthur Constantin Krebs constructed their first airship “La France
La France (airship)
The La France was a French Army airship launched by Charles Renard and Arthur Constantin Krebs in 1884. Collaborating with Charles Renard, Arthur Constantin Krebs piloted the first fully controlled free-flight with the La France. The long, airship, electric-powered with a 435 kg battery...
”.
Hangar “Y” is one of the few remaining hangars in Europe.
The construction of the first operational rigid airship
Rigid airship
A rigid airship is a type of airship in which the envelope retained its shape by the use of an internal structural framework rather than by being forced into shape by the pressure of the lifting gas within the envelope as used in blimps and semi-rigid airships.Rigid airships were produced and...
LZ1 by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin
Ferdinand von Zeppelin
Ferdinand Adolf Heinrich August Graf von Zeppelin was a German general and later aircraft manufacturer. He founded the Zeppelin Airship company...
started in 1899 in a floating hangar on Lake Constance
Lake Constance
Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps...
at Manzell today part of Friedrichshafen
Friedrichshafen
This article is about a German town. For the Danish town, see Frederikshavn, and for the Finnish town, see Fredrikshamn .Friedrichshafen is a university city on the northern side of Lake Constance in Southern Germany, near the borders with Switzerland and Austria.It is the district capital of the...
. The floating hangar turned into the direction of the wind on its own and so it was easier to move the airship into the hangar exactly against the wind.
For the same reason later rotating hangars were built at Biesdorf (today part of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
) and at Cuxhaven-Nordholz in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Already before the First World War there were transportable tent constructions as hangars for smaller airships. They were quite common in the US at fairgrounds or exhibitions. The American Melvin Vaniman
Melvin Vaniman
thumb|200px|right|Drawing of the air ship Akron in which Vaniman lost his lifeChester Melvin Vaniman was an American photographer, adventurer and businessman who specialized in panoramic images taken from heights. Born to a farming family in Virden, Illinois, he was the eldest of four sons, and...
constructed big tent hangars in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
particularly for the French army.
The Zeppelin programme
With the construction of Zeppelin LZ1 the era of big rigid airships started in Germany and for this very big airship hangars were necessary.This development started at the Zeppelin plant in Friedrichshafen
Friedrichshafen
This article is about a German town. For the Danish town, see Frederikshavn, and for the Finnish town, see Fredrikshamn .Friedrichshafen is a university city on the northern side of Lake Constance in Southern Germany, near the borders with Switzerland and Austria.It is the district capital of the...
before the First World War, continued through the war with dozens of hangars for construction of big rigid airship
Rigid airship
A rigid airship is a type of airship in which the envelope retained its shape by the use of an internal structural framework rather than by being forced into shape by the pressure of the lifting gas within the envelope as used in blimps and semi-rigid airships.Rigid airships were produced and...
s and their operation all over Germany and the occupied territories. In the 1920s and 30's even bigger hangars for the new LZ 129 Hindenburg
LZ 129 Hindenburg
LZ 129 Hindenburg was a large German commercial passenger-carrying rigid airship, the lead ship of the Hindenburg class, the longest class of flying machine and the largest airship by envelope volume...
class airships were built at Friedrichshafen, Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
and Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro
Santa Cruz is an extensive, populous, mostly low-income neighborhood in the West Side of Rio de Janeiro, the most distant of the central area of the city, at about from downtown Rio. Traversed by the Central do Brasil suburban railway, it has a quite diversified landscape, with rural, commercial,...
(part of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
) in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, the only of all those hangars which still exists (see article in Portuguese Wikipedia).
UK airship construction
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
, Inchinnan
Inchinnan
Inchinnan is a small village in Renfrewshire, Scotland. The village is located on the main A8 road between Renfrew and Greenock, just southeast of the town of Erskine.-History:...
, Barlow
Barlow
-Places:United Kingdom*Barlow Common, a village in Derbyshire, England*Barlow, Derbyshire, England*Barlow, North Yorkshire, England*Barlow Woodseats Hall, Derbyshire, EnglandUnited States*Barlow Flat Camp, a camping area in California *Barlow, Kentucky, US...
and Cardington
Cardington
Cardington may refer to:*Cardington, Bedfordshire, a village and civil parish in England*Cardington, Shropshire, a village and civil parish in England*Cardington, Ohio, a village in the United States...
and the rigid airship war stations at Longside, East Fortune
East Fortune
East Fortune is a village in East Lothian, Scotland, located 2 miles north west of East Linton. The area is known for its airfield which was constructed in 1915 to help protect Britain from attack by German Zeppelin airships during the First World War. The RNAS airship station also included an...
, Howden
RNAS Howden
RNAS Howden was an airship station near the town of Howden south-west of York, UK. Opened on 26 June 1916 during the First World War, to cover the East Coast ports shipping from attacks by German U-boats. From 1916 to 1918 Howden was a Royal Naval Air Service establishment...
, Pulham
RNAS Pulham
RNAS Pulham was an Royal Navy Air Service airship station, south of Norwich, UK. Though land was purchased by the Navy in 1912 the site was not operational until 1915...
(Norfolk) and Kingsnorth
Kingsnorth
Kingsnorth is a village and civil parish near Ashford in Kent, England.-Features:The Greensand Way, a long distance footpath stretching from Haslemere in Surrey to Hamstreet in Kent, passes through the parish on the final stretch....
.
Cardington
Cardington may refer to:*Cardington, Bedfordshire, a village and civil parish in England*Cardington, Shropshire, a village and civil parish in England*Cardington, Ohio, a village in the United States...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
remain, where the R101
R101
R101 was one of a pair of British rigid airship completed in 1929 as part of a British government programme to develop civil airships capable of service on long-distance routes within the British Empire. It was designed and built by an Air Ministry-appointed team and was effectively in competition...
had been built. The No.1 Cardington hangar is original, but extended; and the No.2 hangar was relocated to Cardington from Pulham in 1928.
France
In FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
few big hangars had been built, because with the “Spies” there was only one attempt to build a rigid airship. Nevertheless at the end of the First World War an airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
station for rigid airship
Rigid airship
A rigid airship is a type of airship in which the envelope retained its shape by the use of an internal structural framework rather than by being forced into shape by the pressure of the lifting gas within the envelope as used in blimps and semi-rigid airships.Rigid airships were produced and...
s was built in Cuers
Cuers
Cuers is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-External links:****...
-Pierrefeu by adding the parts of smaller hangars to two big ones.
At the airport at Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
-Orly
Orly
Orly is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.The name of Orly came from Latin Aureliacum, "the villa of Aurelius"....
two concrete hangars were built between 1923 and 1926. Planned by the famous engineer Eugene Freyssinet
Eugène Freyssinet
Eugène Freyssinet was a French structural and civil engineer. He was the major pioneer of prestressed concrete.Freyssinet was born in at Objat, Corrèze, France. He worked in the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris, France where he designed several bridges until the First World War...
, the 300 m long buildings were an important innovation according construction and aesthetic of the design.
None of the big French hangars exist anymore, while a few smaller ones still are there.
The USA
Lakehurst
There are a number of places named Lakehurst:*Lakehurst, New Jersey.*Lakehurst High School, a fictional school in Degrassi: The Next Generation*Lakehurst Mall, a defunct shopping complex in Waukegan, Illinois...
Naval Airship Station (NAS). Additional hangars, which housed the and , exist in Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
(the Goodyear Airdock
Goodyear Airdock
The Goodyear Airdock is an airship storage and construction hangar in Akron, Ohio.-History:Built and previously owned by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation, later Goodyear Aerospace, it was constructed from April 20, 1929 to November 25, 1929, at a cost of $2.2 million...
, 1929) and Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley located in the San Francisco Bay Area...
(Hangar One, Moffett Federal Airfield, 1932). The ships were constructed in Akron. The Akron was based in Lakehurst while the Macon was based at Moffet Field. These three hangars still exist, as do a number of airship hangars built during the Second World War . At that time, the era of big rigid airships had already ended, but those hangars could house several smaller naval blimp
Blimp
A blimp, or non-rigid airship, is a floating airship without an internal supporting framework or keel. A non-rigid airship differs from a semi-rigid airship and a rigid airship in that it does not have any rigid structure, neither a complete framework nor a partial keel, to help the airbag...
s at a time.
Post World War hangars
After the Second World War worldwide only one big airship shed had been built: The one in Brand south of Berlin for the construction of the Cargolifter AG airship. With a length of 360m, a width of 210m and a height of 107m it is one of the largest unsupported structures in the world. After the bankruptcy of Cargolifter AG it was converted into the leisure center “Tropical IslandsTropical Islands
Tropical Islands Resort is an artificial tropical resort in Krausnick, Germany. It is said to have the world's largest tropical indoor pool which can accommodate up to 8,000 visitors a day...
”.
For the needs of the rather small blimps quite a number of mostly simple hangars exist around the world today.
Further reading
- Manfred Bauer: Luftschiffhallen in Friedrichshafen. Friedrichshafen 1985
- Kim Braun: Die Luftschiffhäfen Niedersachsens in Der Traum vom Fliegen. Oldenburg 2000
- Hein Carsens: Schiffe am Himmel - Nordholz-Geschichte eines Luftschiffhafens. Bremerhaven 1997
- Christopher Dean: Housing the Airship. London 1989
- Lassalle Maryse: Bases pour dirigeables. Aix-en-Provence, France 2005
- John Provan: The German Airship Sheds. Kelkheim 1988
- John Provan: Luftschiffhafen Rhein-Main. Kelkheim 1986
- John Provan: Die französischen Luftschiffhallen. Kelkheim 1989
- James R. Schock: American Airship Bases and Facilities Edgewater. Florida, USA 1996
- Dr. Fritz Strahlmann: Zwei deutsche Luftschiffhäfen des Weltkrieges - Ahlhorn und Wildeshausen. Oldenburg 1926
- Michael Wulf: Luftschiffhallen, Dissertation, Technische Universität Carola-Wilhelmina. Braunschweig 1997
External links
Le Hangar à Dirigeables d'Ecausseville- Hangar of Shanghai Vantage Airship Manufacture Company Limited China
- Hangar Team Augusta Italy
- The Airship Heritage Trust Cardington UK
- Navy Lakehurst Historical Society USA
- "Dirigible Hanger Rotates To Reduce Wing Peril" Popular Science, May 1935, futuristic idea on dirigible hangers for airline service