Information about "rigid airships"


This type of airship design is without doubt the most effort and expensive, but in special sections the absolutely best solution for realizing a controllable airship.

The airships of the rigid design are characterized by the following aspects:

  • These airships recieve their outer shape through a rigid structure, mostly made of a special aluminum alloy called Duraluminium (or made of wood for the Schütte-Lanz-Airships). The structure is formed of longitudinal girder and cross-rings, also made of these girders. The whole structure is covered with fabric to get a better aerodynamic style.
  • The lifting gas is located within the rigid structure inside Gas cells. They look like disc-shaped balloons.
  • The control car of the airship, also the engine cars, are fixed to the rigid framework. The fins are also a part of the rigid structure. The passenger quarters are located in an aft position in the control car / gondola or inside the hull of the airship. The crew quarters are beside the keel catwalk.
  • Freight, fuel & oil and ballast are also attached to the rigid structure.


Typical representatives of this design:

  The Zeppelin-Airships