Zeppelin LZ41 History Question

[Kampfflieger]

Hi,

I just received the Hippo Models LZ41 kit and no historical notes are included. Can anyone tell me something about this zep? Is there some particular signifigance to this airship? The kit is incredible. The resin parts are superbly cast with no surface flaws present. The fuselage is almost awe inspiring to hold in my hands. It's so big and light. About the only thing I would change are the gunners. They are all in the same pose. The kit also includes two resin replica badges, one of which is an Iron Cross, and the other I can't identify. It has a crown at the top of a wreath, the center of which has the image of a Taube airplane.

I

[Kampfflieger]

It also has four very beautifully detailed engines. They're almost as finely detailed as some of my 1:48 WW1 engines.

[hgraves]

thou it pertains to the german airship service in general and only mentions the L-41 briefly this is an great article
http://www.richthofen.com/scheer/scheer10d.htm

[Gil Russell]

I assume this is the Navy number and not the builder's number (LZ 79). It was built in the South Shed at Staaken and had it's first flight on Jan. 15, 1917. It was Commisioned on Jan. 30, 1917. It's Commanding Officer was Hauptmann Manger and the Executive Officer was Otit. z. A. d. R. Gruner. It was based at Ahlhorn from Jan. 30, 1917 and then at Nordholz beginning on Dec. 11, 1917. It had 4 Works Flights; 17 Scouting Flights; 4 Raids; and 50 Total Navy Flights (doesn't include the Works Flights). Decommissioning was on May 29, 1918. It was hung up in "Norbert" Shed on June 10 1918 . On June 23, 1919 it was wrecked there by the airship crews.

It is listed as a Zeppelin "R" Type.

This is taken from the Appendix B of "The Zeppelin in Combat" by Douglas H. Robinson, 1980, ISBN 0-295-95752-2

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/5241/l41drawingwebvp0.th.jpg (http://img227.imageshack.us/my.php?image=l41drawingwebvp0.jpg)

[sobrien]

The Hippo LZ 41 is listed on their web site is listed as a Naval Type which would make it the L 11. If you look at it it seems to be a "p" type, not the "r" type that the L 41 was. It has the front control car and the rear engine car without the 2 side gondolas that were on the later type.

So it's the history of the L 11 that you would want.

sobrien

[sobrien]

I don't remember where I got this image, but here is one of L11 in an experimental camo like the Hippo model. David Straub of Texas has also scratch built an L 11. He has quite a collection (see attached). He has also built an award winning L32. They are fabulous and everybody should check them out.

Sobrien