Examples Of Hindenburg: An Unnecessary Disasters: Structural Engineering
Structural Engineering Mishaps and Disasters
Hindenburg: An Unnecessary Disaster
In the 1930s airships, better known today as "blimps", were the main source of air travel. During this time, the airships were used for various different reasons such as: bombing enemy targets, patrolling coastal areas, escorting naval ships during the night or through unsafe bodies of water, or used to make luxury flights across the Atlantic. The Hindenburg was believed to be the biggest and most sophisticated aircraft ever built. The Hindenburg was built with metal framework and balloon like covering. It was as long as three football fields and weighed more than 240 tons. This airship looked ravishing, however, it possessed a significant flaw that eventually …show more content…
Finally, the weather calmed and the Hindenburg airship began to land in Jersey.
One of the spectators noticed a pale pink glow in the lower center of the ship. Everyone began to become intense because they had a feeling that the glow was not suppose to be there. A few seconds later that section of the airship exploded! All the onlookers, of course, backed away rapidly, but were still close as the entire Hindenburg airship, and mostly all of its passengers caught fire. Some parts of the Hindenburg did, in fact, remain together, but they are only preserved today for research. One of the passengers aboard the flight, a fourteen year old, climbed through a window trying to escape the fires of the airship. To his advance, one of the water tanks burst and the flames on his clothes and his body were …show more content…
"A small amount of explosive mixture (hydrogen) in the upper part of the ship could have been ignited by {an} electric phenomenon like a ball of lightning." (Air Crashes by E. Landau; pg. 13). Some people believe that lightning was not the reason the ship exploded; rather they believe that the German government sabotaged the aircraft because they had done similar things prior to this catastrophe. In 1997, Addison Bain conducted test on materials used for the aircraft's creation. He found that the cellulose nitrate used to coat the airship is the same material used to make gun powder. Also, he discovered that aluminum powder was used to coat the Hindenburg as well, and this particular substance can be used to launch rockets. Addison Bain was quoted saying " I guess the moral of the story is don't paint your airship with rocket fuel.
Hindenburg: An Unnecessary Disaster
In the 1930s airships, better known today as "blimps", were the main source of air travel. During this time, the airships were used for various different reasons such as: bombing enemy targets, patrolling coastal areas, escorting naval ships during the night or through unsafe bodies of water, or used to make luxury flights across the Atlantic. The Hindenburg was believed to be the biggest and most sophisticated aircraft ever built. The Hindenburg was built with metal framework and balloon like covering. It was as long as three football fields and weighed more than 240 tons. This airship looked ravishing, however, it possessed a significant flaw that eventually …show more content…
Finally, the weather calmed and the Hindenburg airship began to land in Jersey.
One of the spectators noticed a pale pink glow in the lower center of the ship. Everyone began to become intense because they had a feeling that the glow was not suppose to be there. A few seconds later that section of the airship exploded! All the onlookers, of course, backed away rapidly, but were still close as the entire Hindenburg airship, and mostly all of its passengers caught fire. Some parts of the Hindenburg did, in fact, remain together, but they are only preserved today for research. One of the passengers aboard the flight, a fourteen year old, climbed through a window trying to escape the fires of the airship. To his advance, one of the water tanks burst and the flames on his clothes and his body were …show more content…
"A small amount of explosive mixture (hydrogen) in the upper part of the ship could have been ignited by {an} electric phenomenon like a ball of lightning." (Air Crashes by E. Landau; pg. 13). Some people believe that lightning was not the reason the ship exploded; rather they believe that the German government sabotaged the aircraft because they had done similar things prior to this catastrophe. In 1997, Addison Bain conducted test on materials used for the aircraft's creation. He found that the cellulose nitrate used to coat the airship is the same material used to make gun powder. Also, he discovered that aluminum powder was used to coat the Hindenburg as well, and this particular substance can be used to launch rockets. Addison Bain was quoted saying " I guess the moral of the story is don't paint your airship with rocket fuel.