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