|
National Geographic Hindenburg
|
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It was the largest and most celebrated |
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But like another legendary |
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the Hindenburg was doomed. |
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Get this, Scotty! |
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Get this Scotty! |
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I looked out the window |
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and my only concern was to get out. |
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I thought to myself, |
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"This is the end. |
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4,5 hundred feet into the sky. |
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It's a terrific crash, |
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The smoke and the flames |
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and the plane |
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Oh, the humanity. |
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I guess it looked like hell. |
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It was like hell on fire. |
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It was something that will stay with |
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Some said it was only |
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Others blamed a murderous act |
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But what really destroyed |
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Now, after more than half a century, |
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a former NASA engineer |
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the real answer to the mystery. |
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What I found was the fact that |
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It was a problem that would destroy |
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and bring to an abrupt and tragic end |
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It was, by every account, |
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the largest object that had ever been |
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And wherever it touched down |
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the Hindenburg was sure |
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At the Naval Air Station |
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thousands would stand in line for |
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This was perhaps the most beautiful |
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streamlined, poised to rule the skies. |
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Today, Lakehurst is a much |
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but it's still haunted by echoes |
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John Lannacone remembers that time. |
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He was part of the Hindenburg's |
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Now he's one of the few visitors to |
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I was 18 years old when I got here. |
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And I saw this tremendous |
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I always say it's one of the |
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We put it in a hangar |
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And it just about fit. |
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The Germans, when they designed it, |
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Then they realized that this hangar's |
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so they cut ten feet off. |
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There was a one-foot clearance |
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It just fit in here |
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It's sad, I mean, |
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for what it should be utilized. |
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I mean, it looks like it's nothing |
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That's what it looks like to me. |
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Airships have had their place |
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And it's gone. |
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I don't think airships |
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History's first successful manned |
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launched by the Montgolfier brothers |
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But balloons move at the mercy |
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with no way to control |
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Some dreamed of a method of |
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The design for these so called |
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But even the ones that could fly |
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The biggest challenge was |
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to carry passengers and cargo. |
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One of the pioneers was |
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He first encountered manned balloons |
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as a German military observer of the |
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Back in Germany, |
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designing a large dirigible |
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covered by a skin of fabric. |
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It would be lifted not by hot air, |
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In 1900, his creation would |
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Within a decade, |
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and even regular passenger service |
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Count von Zeppelin was |
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But airships had other uses |
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And with the beginning |
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airship construction became |
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Nothing gets developed as fast as |
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Okay, we experience it even today. |
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So the First World War definitely |
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The airships went from something like |
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to two-and-a-half million just within |
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The Zeppelins were soon transformed |
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first as observation platforms, |
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as the world's first strategic |
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But they demonstrated their |
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high-flying fighter planes |
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in fiery explosions, |
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In the years after the war, |
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airship technology would find champions |
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In the U.S., the Navy developed |
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The way the Navy used |
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was the way the Germans had used them |
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And this was to send the airship |
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Well, an airship is an easy thing to |
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Partly to protect their airships, |
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the Navy transformed them into |
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outfitting them with small |
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They put a trapeze on the underside |
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And the airplane would come up |
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by hooking the hook on a bar |
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which would then pull the airplane up |
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They made the hangar large enough to |
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But there would be problems: |
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were plagued by freakish accidents |
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The first, the Shenandoah, broke apart |
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leaving a third of its crew dead, |
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and its remains scattered across |
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In 1932, during a routine |
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three members of her ground crew |
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when the Akron suddenly |
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The helpless sailors clung to the line |
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and then another tumbled hundreds of |
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The third managed to hang on |
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before he was finally hauled on board. |
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Less than a year later, |
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the Akron crashed off the New Jersey |
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The last big airship that |
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It was lost February 12, 1935 |
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in squally weather off |
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There were 83 on board and, |
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only 2 people were lost in it. |
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And there it lay, its exact location |
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Finally, in the early 1990s, |
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an expedition covered by |
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found and photographed |
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A Navy submersible located the Macon |
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Her tangled skeleton still harbored |
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It was a sad reminder |
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disastrous flirtation |
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Elsewhere, airships would meet with |
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In Germany, the civilian airship |
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under the leadership of Hugo Eckener, |
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a charismatic successor to |
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Eckener had the experience, |
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and the entrepreneurial spirit |
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to realize Zeppelin's vision of |
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He gathered together the best and |
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to build the greatest airship yet, |
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When the Graf Zeppelin was launched |
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she was hailed as the most advanced |
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But Eckener was eager |
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So he came up with |
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to fly his creation around the world. |
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If he could pull it off, |
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it would be a technological triumph- |
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This is very much like the |
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It's one of the big events that people |
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Newspaper publisher |
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saw the potential and paid |
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for the rights to cover the flight. |
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And look at the size of |
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which looks big even with |
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This is first leg of long |
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destined to set a record for |
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In August, 1929, with the eyes of the |
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Eckener piloted the airship |
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flying thousands of miles |
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Oscar Fink was the helmsman on many of |
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Well, it really was |
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an experience that didn't exist |
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You would see something of the world- |
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which flies at a height of |
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It was practically a sea ship |
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In the end, the Graf Zeppelin |
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in less than 300 hours of flying time, |
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Her triumphant achievement would |
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on those who saw her. |
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I remember going up |
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to the rooftop of the apartment house- |
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we lived in New York City, |
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The country was seized by |
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Hugo Eckener had proven |
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When he landed at the Naval Air Station |
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he received a hero's welcome. |
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It was an achievement in technology and |
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Eckener was the toast of the town, |
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along Broadway just as |
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only two years before. |
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Eckener was probably the most |
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He's very much like Neil Armstrong |
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He's a world figure of world renown |
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and if his name comes up |
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it's like everybody knows |
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Hugo Eckener and his airship had |
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The record-breaking flight was even |
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The Graf Zeppelin soon embarked |
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between Europe and the Americas. |
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It was history's first regular |
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But back in Germany, a more sinister |
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Adolf Hitler and his Nazi followers |
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In a few years, they would transform |
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But for now, the head of the |
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to pursue a new dream: |
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much bigger than |
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This would be the Hindenburg. |
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It would feature the latest advances |
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and it would carry 50 passengers |
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It would truly be a luxury liner |
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At 804 feet, Hindenburg would |
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It would be almost as long as |
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the largest passenger liner |
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Building something this huge and |
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was an enormous challenge for |
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As with all dirigibles, |
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and the secret of its flight |
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Along its central axis, enormous gas |
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taking up almost its entire volume. |
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They would be filled with |
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A rigid framework would be needed |
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It would have to be strong, |
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The material of choice: |
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To separate the gas cells: |
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some more than a hundred feet |
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as big as a carnival ferris wheel. |
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Now the pieces can be assembled, |
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After more than three years of work, |
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the giant airship is beginning |
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Around the frame: her outer surface |
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750,000 square feet of fabric, |
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To protect the cotton cloth from |
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and to reflect the sun's heat, it's |
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It's an incendiary mixture, |
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but it's standard procedure |
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Finally, the gas cells can be filled. |
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Eckener's first choice |
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but the Americans have |
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and refuse to sell this strategic |
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So he is forced to fill |
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March 1936: The new airship is ready |
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With her first public appearances, |
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it was clear that there had never been |
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Streamlined and elegant, |
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she was a technical marvel and |
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As she floated gracefully |
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Hugo Eckener basked in the glory. |
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The Nazis would view his new airship |
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Though Eckener himself was no friend |
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one of Hindenburg's first flights |
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Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels |
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an aerial tour of the country's |
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But the Hindenburg's primary function |
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and within days of her maiden flight, |
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she made her debut |
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One of her crewmen was Werner Franz, |
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I was 14 years old the first time |
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When I entered the hangar, |
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All I could see was a grey wall. |
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I looked left and right, |
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I was standing right in front of it. |
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I saw only a part of the ship. |
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You had to walk to the front and the |
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Of course, I walked through every inch |
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My favorite spot, when I had the time, |
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was all the way in the front, |
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There was a little area with a table |
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where I could see the whole panorama |
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That was my favorite spot. |
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I couldn't pull myself away |
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I was sorry |
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A cabin boy could appreciate the |
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but the best views were |
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inside the hull of the airship. |
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One of the youngest passengers |
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I was 11 years old |
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to fly to Germany on the Hindenburg. |
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That was an overwhelming experience, |
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to enter into this big ship, |
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It was immense. |
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And it was somewhat overwhelming, |
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And one would get caught up |
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Life on board was just like |
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Breakfast would be served very nicely, |
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The meals were very good, and you would |
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The Hindenburg's chefs turned out |
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and accompanied by |
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Alfred Grozinger recalls the time he |
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When I got onto the Hindenburg |
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I made all the voyages |
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We did our utmost |
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Whether it was the crew or the |
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and I would contend that |
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none of the passengers had anything |
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They were very satisfied with |
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They were only worried that |
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they'd gained too much weight |
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After dinner, passengers could enjoy |
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and musical entertainment |
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constructed of aluminum |
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Next door to the lounge was |
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where passengers could enjoy |
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There was a typewriter |
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and private desks where travelers could |
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Mail could even be posted from |
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which maintained |
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The Hindenburg rivaled the best |
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Most of the passenger rooms were |
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And if you were willing |
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you could enjoy the luxury of |
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But luxury didn't come cheap. |
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A ticket on the Hindenburg |
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more than $4,000 in today's currency. |
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Amazingly, |
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despite the proximity of millions of |
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the Hindenburg also featured a smoking |
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and equipped with |
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But for most passengers, |
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on the promenade deck |
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Coasting along at 80 miles an hour, |
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the views were incredible. |
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There was always something new |
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You could see fishes |
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That was a major event. |
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Edith Dieckmann was married to |
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She and her husband joined |
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on the Hindenburg's first |
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and she recalls an unusual encounter |
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The captain of the ocean liner |
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and asked him if he would |
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in order to fly over the ship, and |
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He even lowered a bottle of champagne |
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and the first one broke, but |
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For the crew, the thrill of flying |
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by the excitement of visiting ports |
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I was just fascinated |
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The European cities, |
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were really just provincial cities. |
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This was something |
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Eugen Bentele was a mechanic |
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He and his fellow crew members were |
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Bentele remembers one occasion |
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and ran into a little trouble. |
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Just before we got to Holland Tunnels, |
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There was this whistling |
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And we pulled over, and the policeman |
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Then the driver said to him, |
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and he waved us off. |
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And I would imagine that |
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who flew around the world |
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could have had a stronger impression. |
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It was a wonderful way of traveling. |
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And I have to say, it was |
| 00:28:05 |
that I ever experienced in my life. |
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Besides being beautiful, the Hindenburg |
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I am convinced that under all weather |
| 00:28:21 |
we will be able to make the flight in |
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By the spring of 1937, |
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as Hitler continued his military |
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many Europeans were becoming |
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about the possibility of war. |
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That may explain why ticket sales |
| 00:29:05 |
from the year before. |
| 00:29:07 |
There had also been a series of |
| 00:29:11 |
Nevertheless, on May 3, |
| 00:29:13 |
the inaugural flight of the Hindenburg's |
| 00:29:20 |
Hugo Eckener wasn't on board, |
| 00:29:23 |
but his heir apparent, |
| 00:29:26 |
It promised to be a routine flight. |
| 00:29:29 |
The airship took off with 97 people |
| 00:29:34 |
One of them was Burtis Dolan, |
| 00:29:38 |
returning home to his wife Mildred, |
| 00:29:43 |
Anxious about his flying on the |
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So he wrote to her, |
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Not that I fear in any respect |
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There is less risk than |
| 00:29:58 |
Of course, Precious, |
| 00:30:01 |
and if anything should happen to me en |
| 00:30:11 |
The crossing was uneventful, |
| 00:30:16 |
By the afternoon of May 6th, |
| 00:30:20 |
One of those who remembers |
| 00:30:25 |
I had taken my mother to Asbury Park, |
| 00:30:30 |
to shop for a birthday present. |
| 00:30:33 |
It was almost time for the store to close, |
| 00:30:40 |
When we looked out the window, |
| 00:30:43 |
we saw coming directly toward us |
| 00:30:48 |
That sight I'll never, never forget. |
| 00:30:51 |
I remember saying to my mother, |
| 00:30:53 |
"Oh, I would love to give you a ride |
| 00:30:58 |
She laughed and said, "Oh, but those on |
| 00:31:03 |
But that's a beautiful thought. |
| 00:31:06 |
I'll dream about it." |
| 00:31:09 |
The Hindenburg had been scheduled to |
| 00:31:14 |
But her landing would be |
| 00:31:20 |
It was a completely ordinary trip. |
| 00:31:22 |
Just like always, |
| 00:31:24 |
sometimes good weather. |
| 00:31:26 |
But when we arrived |
| 00:31:28 |
the entire area was filled |
| 00:31:34 |
We were going to have to fly around |
| 00:31:39 |
I think, before we would be |
| 00:31:44 |
Verna Thomas lived just a few miles |
| 00:31:49 |
All day long, this was all you heard |
| 00:31:52 |
about the Hindenburg |
| 00:31:54 |
Around evening, when the word had |
| 00:31:58 |
was gonna come into Lakehurst, |
| 00:32:01 |
"Let's go up and get into |
| 00:32:08 |
On the ground, crowds had gathered |
| 00:32:11 |
Print reporters and newsreel |
| 00:32:16 |
Even a radio announcer |
| 00:32:19 |
We're greeting you now from the |
| 00:32:22 |
from which point we're going to bring |
| 00:32:24 |
of the mammoth airship, Hindenburg. |
| 00:32:26 |
It was 7:15 p.m. |
| 00:32:29 |
The storms had all but ended |
| 00:32:33 |
for its final approach. |
| 00:32:34 |
Here it comes, ladies and gentlemen, |
| 00:32:37 |
A thrilling one, |
| 00:32:40 |
coming down out of the sky, |
| 00:32:41 |
pointed directly toward us |
| 00:32:45 |
Her mighty motors just roared |
| 00:32:47 |
and throwing it back into |
| 00:32:54 |
All of a sudden, there came a call: |
| 00:32:57 |
because the ship was too light |
| 00:33:01 |
I stayed halfway between |
| 00:33:05 |
There was a hole somewhere there. |
| 00:33:07 |
And I thought, "Well, I'll just |
| 00:33:12 |
and I'll watch the landing." |
| 00:33:18 |
During the landing maneuver, |
| 00:33:22 |
so I could observe everything |
| 00:33:27 |
And I thought perhaps they had brought |
| 00:33:30 |
too fast, and that something |
| 00:33:36 |
And so I looked out, |
| 00:33:37 |
and I saw that the ship from the stern |
| 00:33:48 |
It burst into flames. |
| 00:33:49 |
Get this Scotty, get this, Scotty. |
| 00:33:51 |
It's terrible. |
| 00:33:53 |
Oh, my! Get out of the way, please! |
| 00:34:00 |
My father said, "My God, it's on fire. |
| 00:34:03 |
Run!" We watched it burn. |
| 00:34:06 |
We could see people jumping out. |
| 00:34:08 |
It didn't look like anybody |
| 00:34:15 |
I can't really remember the collision, |
| 00:34:18 |
so I know that the ship must have |
| 00:34:24 |
I regained consciousness and then |
| 00:34:29 |
from the side of the motor. |
| 00:34:33 |
But there was a stream of heat |
| 00:34:35 |
coming from the enormous flames |
| 00:34:40 |
Then, while I was running away, |
| 00:34:46 |
I put my hand up to my neck |
| 00:34:49 |
and instead of my neck getting burned, |
| 00:34:54 |
I thought to myself: "Now this is the end. |
| 00:34:58 |
I can't survive the end." |
| 00:35:00 |
And then it happened like this: |
| 00:35:02 |
I came down nearly perpendicular with |
| 00:35:09 |
But almost immediately, |
| 00:35:14 |
I was lucky, because I was |
| 00:35:18 |
so none of the flames |
| 00:35:24 |
And the thing that impressed me |
| 00:35:29 |
created by the collapsing of |
| 00:35:32 |
and the roar of the flames |
| 00:35:43 |
In front of me, maybe I was lucky, |
| 00:35:47 |
and perhaps it was the water |
| 00:35:51 |
Now I could make my way to the door |
| 00:35:55 |
I could already see the ground coming |
| 00:36:07 |
I didn't think about anything. |
| 00:36:09 |
My mind didn't start working again |
| 00:36:11 |
until I was back on the ground |
| 00:36:15 |
And then after awhile it came to me: |
| 00:36:20 |
I wailed like a baby. |
| 00:36:22 |
I didn't know what to do until |
| 00:36:25 |
and shook me to my senses and said, |
| 00:36:29 |
Try to help somebody." |
| 00:36:38 |
It's a terrific crash, |
| 00:36:40 |
The smoke and the flames, and |
| 00:36:44 |
not quite to the mooring mast. |
| 00:36:46 |
Oh, the humanity and |
| 00:36:50 |
I don't... |
| 00:36:52 |
I have people and friends out there. |
| 00:36:56 |
It's... |
| 00:36:59 |
I can't talk, ladies and gentlemen... |
| 00:37:02 |
Honestly, it's like mess... |
| 00:37:23 |
It started from the tail |
| 00:37:27 |
and went into the middle |
| 00:37:32 |
Within five seconds, |
| 00:37:35 |
The explosion was so bad and the fire |
| 00:37:41 |
I guess it looked like hell; |
| 00:37:48 |
The ground crew and the people |
| 00:37:52 |
they were helping to pull bodies out. |
| 00:38:01 |
Two American Navy soldiers grabbed me |
| 00:38:06 |
And then little by little, |
| 00:38:10 |
One of them was Max Pruss. |
| 00:38:13 |
He had no nose anymore-nothing there, |
| 00:38:19 |
Everything was burned off. |
| 00:38:31 |
When I arrived there, |
| 00:38:36 |
Raymond Taylor was one of the first |
| 00:38:40 |
I tried to identify some of |
| 00:38:47 |
but some of them could not be |
| 00:38:50 |
because they were so badly burned. |
| 00:38:52 |
Also, a Jewish doctor, Dr. Adolf Tobin, |
| 00:39:02 |
Captain Lehmann, |
| 00:39:07 |
His reason for wanting to |
| 00:39:11 |
because he wanted to show Hitler |
| 00:39:13 |
that he was very friendly toward them |
| 00:39:18 |
should be aware that the Jews were |
| 00:39:24 |
and they should appreciate it. |
| 00:39:29 |
But no doctor could save |
| 00:39:32 |
He would die of his injuries. |
| 00:39:34 |
And so would Burtis Dolan. |
| 00:39:36 |
In Dolan's pocket, |
| 00:39:37 |
they found the charred letter |
| 00:39:40 |
but never had a chance to mail. |
| 00:39:45 |
It had taken just half a minute from |
| 00:39:49 |
to the fiery crash. |
| 00:39:51 |
Now, 36 passengers and crew members |
| 00:39:56 |
from burns and smoke inhalation. |
| 00:39:59 |
Miraculously, two-thirds of those |
| 00:40:12 |
My view of it all was entirely |
| 00:40:18 |
Mine was that beautiful thing in the |
| 00:40:25 |
I've seen the other ships, |
| 00:40:26 |
but this was sort of the first cause |
| 00:40:33 |
Maybe it was made more so |
| 00:40:46 |
The next morning, |
| 00:40:47 |
Americans awoke to screaming headlines |
| 00:40:53 |
For the first time, every detail of |
| 00:40:58 |
and relayed to a shocked public. |
| 00:41:02 |
Adolf Hitler sent a personal telegram |
| 00:41:06 |
thanking him and the American people |
| 00:41:09 |
in dealing with the casualties. |
| 00:41:13 |
In New York, the German ambassador |
| 00:41:16 |
for the bodies of his countrymen |
| 00:41:21 |
Their flag-draped coffins would lie |
| 00:41:25 |
as local German citizens |
| 00:41:31 |
Then the dead were shipped home |
| 00:41:37 |
But back in Berlin, the government |
| 00:41:42 |
This was a public |
| 00:41:45 |
The Nazis saw it as a slap |
| 00:41:49 |
and so it didn't enter the newspapers. |
| 00:41:52 |
It was sort of like |
| 00:41:54 |
"There was a crash of |
| 00:41:56 |
And so many people died. |
| 00:41:57 |
And here's the survivor's list." |
| 00:42:01 |
Even the film footage was not allowed |
| 00:42:05 |
and most people didn't get to |
| 00:42:14 |
Besides the shock of the tragedy, |
| 00:42:17 |
there were questions |
| 00:42:19 |
about what could have caused |
| 00:42:24 |
German airships had carried |
| 00:42:27 |
more than a million miles-in |
| 00:42:31 |
Was the Hindenburg brought down |
| 00:42:36 |
As a symbol of the Nazi regime, |
| 00:42:38 |
it may have been a tempting target |
| 00:42:43 |
Some have even suggested that |
| 00:42:45 |
Hitler may have ordered |
| 00:42:48 |
perhaps in retaliation for |
| 00:42:53 |
But no solid evidence was ever found |
| 00:42:59 |
Just four days after the crash, |
| 00:43:02 |
the Commerce Department convened |
| 00:43:05 |
to examine the evidence. |
| 00:43:07 |
Hugo Eckener headed |
| 00:43:13 |
In the end, |
| 00:43:16 |
the crash was an unfortunate accident, |
| 00:43:19 |
caused by a discharge of |
| 00:43:22 |
igniting a leak from |
| 00:43:25 |
and touching off |
| 00:43:33 |
But decades later, a new theory would |
| 00:43:40 |
Addison Bain is a retired engineer, |
| 00:43:43 |
the former head of |
| 00:43:49 |
His expertise led him to |
| 00:43:53 |
about the Hindenburg disaster. |
| 00:43:58 |
Well, with my experience |
| 00:44:00 |
starting in about 1960, |
| 00:44:03 |
and designing systems and writing |
| 00:44:07 |
And I'd keep hearing about |
| 00:44:09 |
what about the Hindenburg, |
| 00:44:12 |
Well, it didn't. |
| 00:44:14 |
To Addison Bain's trained eye, |
| 00:44:18 |
in the photographs of the disaster: |
| 00:44:20 |
The enormous fireball |
| 00:44:23 |
could not have been produced by |
| 00:44:26 |
It was very apparent that |
| 00:44:30 |
Again, that set my suspicions |
| 00:44:33 |
because hydrogen generally burns with |
| 00:44:38 |
Perhaps something else had fueled |
| 00:44:41 |
Why did this fire burn |
| 00:44:44 |
And fire investigators go off and look |
| 00:44:48 |
and that kind of thing |
| 00:44:52 |
And that's why I led off into |
| 00:44:58 |
particularly the outer coating. |
| 00:45:03 |
To find out what might |
| 00:45:05 |
Bain went to Germany and visited the |
| 00:45:10 |
There, in the archives, among files |
| 00:45:14 |
he found the construction diagrams for |
| 00:45:20 |
When I arrived and started going |
| 00:45:23 |
I also found drawings on the LZ130, |
| 00:45:27 |
the sister ship of the Hindenburg- |
| 00:45:32 |
But the LZ130 had flown |
| 00:45:34 |
and it was exactly the same size. |
| 00:45:36 |
I came across one particular drawing |
| 00:45:39 |
that outlined the fabric covering |
| 00:45:42 |
Now following down through the notes |
| 00:45:46 |
I come across notes |
| 00:45:50 |
They started off with |
| 00:45:52 |
very similar to the Hindenburg |
| 00:45:56 |
but then the next steps were coatings |
| 00:46:02 |
not just plain aluminum powder. |
| 00:46:04 |
I thought, "Ah-ha, |
| 00:46:08 |
To Addison Bain, |
| 00:46:10 |
the airship's designers had serious |
| 00:46:14 |
used on the outer covering. |
| 00:46:17 |
They knew a number of problems. |
| 00:46:19 |
They did a number of modifications |
| 00:46:22 |
all because of |
| 00:46:26 |
But hydrogen had been blamed |
| 00:46:28 |
so why did Zeppelin company engineers |
| 00:46:33 |
struggling to make it more |
| 00:46:35 |
and less likely to build up |
| 00:46:39 |
Did they know more than they let on? |
| 00:46:46 |
To find out what was really |
| 00:46:49 |
Addison Bain would head into |
| 00:46:53 |
He had managed to secure |
| 00:46:57 |
actual shreds of |
| 00:47:04 |
Placing a sample |
| 00:47:07 |
Bain could analyze the doping |
| 00:47:11 |
And when I discovered that the doping |
| 00:47:16 |
in general, uses a cellulose |
| 00:47:21 |
which was basically gunpowder, |
| 00:47:23 |
and then used a combination of powdered |
| 00:47:29 |
And I said, "Well, you know, |
| 00:47:30 |
powdered aluminum is the fuel |
| 00:47:33 |
So, here we have rocket fuel, |
| 00:47:35 |
And I said to myself, |
| 00:47:40 |
They must have introduced |
| 00:47:42 |
to reduce the flammability |
| 00:47:46 |
With a scanning electron microscope, |
| 00:47:48 |
Bain could inspect the skin |
| 00:47:52 |
He found nothing that would have |
| 00:47:59 |
But he did manage to learn exactly |
| 00:48:00 |
what the fabric was composed of |
| 00:48:06 |
With this new sample, |
| 00:48:09 |
if a flame or a spark made contact |
| 00:48:13 |
What I'm gonna do is burn a piece of |
| 00:48:21 |
First thing you'll notice, |
| 00:48:26 |
and it starts moving quite rapidly. |
| 00:48:30 |
Notice the colorization of it- |
| 00:48:34 |
And another feature |
| 00:48:37 |
the effect of the aluminum |
| 00:48:42 |
little balls of thermite- |
| 00:48:47 |
Those thermite balls get up to |
| 00:48:55 |
Very simply, I believe that |
| 00:49:00 |
was static electricity |
| 00:49:04 |
It found a path towards the frame, |
| 00:49:08 |
and ignited the very, |
| 00:49:12 |
That, in combination with |
| 00:49:16 |
was just a rapid chemical fire. |
| 00:49:21 |
If Addison Bain is right, |
| 00:49:25 |
the fire that consumed the Hindenburg |
| 00:49:30 |
It was actually fueled by the |
| 00:49:39 |
But even if hydrogen wasn't entirely |
| 00:49:42 |
the Hindenburg disaster sounded the |
| 00:49:48 |
With the outbreak of war, |
| 00:49:50 |
Germany's last remaining airships |
| 00:49:56 |
As for Hugo Eckener, |
| 00:50:01 |
One of the world's most celebrated |
| 00:50:13 |
Today, a subsidiary of the same |
| 00:50:17 |
is once again creating an airship. |
| 00:50:24 |
In a hangar at Friedrichshafen, |
| 00:50:30 |
That shape may be familiar, |
| 00:50:35 |
Scott Dannekar is testing |
| 00:50:39 |
The Hindenburg is like an albatross |
| 00:50:43 |
and we've been wearing it |
| 00:50:46 |
We have to overcome the stigma of the |
| 00:50:50 |
We have to prove |
| 00:50:52 |
and we have to prove its success. |
| 00:50:56 |
And once we do that, |
| 00:50:57 |
then I think we're well on our way |
| 00:51:00 |
to the prominence that |
| 00:51:06 |
This is a very different |
| 00:51:09 |
It features electronic controls |
| 00:51:13 |
Its semirigid design sets it |
| 00:51:16 |
we see at sporting events, |
| 00:51:18 |
but it's less than a third the size |
| 00:51:21 |
And it's filled with helium, |
| 00:51:27 |
If all goes well, the new Zeppelin |
| 00:51:31 |
and scientific research-and perhaps as |
| 00:51:39 |
Flying an airplane for me is a job. |
| 00:51:41 |
It's something that you have to do. |
| 00:51:43 |
Flying an airship is a joy. |
| 00:51:47 |
I think it's just the idea |
| 00:51:49 |
or in this case white- airship just |
| 00:51:52 |
There's just a magic there that for me |
| 00:52:00 |
Is the Zeppelin NT the wave of the |
| 00:52:07 |
a bid to recapture an elegant era? |
| 00:52:17 |
The golden age of airships |
| 00:52:21 |
but magnificent giants like |
| 00:52:25 |
They'll fly on forever, |
| 00:52:28 |
floating majestically |
| 00:52:37 |
I think everyone |
| 00:52:40 |
would really like to see one of those |
| 00:52:49 |
There's nothing more beautiful |
| 00:52:53 |
It's page one in the book of dreams. |
