Sub-cloud cars

[Digger]

I was just wondering if anyone has any helpful information on the observation cars, which ships actually had them, where they were deployed from in the zeppelin, and what they actually looked like. I have read that many crews built their own from scratch, so perhaps they did not all look alike? ANY information on these would be helpful. Thanks in advance. :cheers:

[Charles Adams]

I have not seen much on these. There are a couple of good photos, I found all of them online. The best discussion I have seen was in a book by Ernst Lehmann (an early airship captain who came up with the idea) which was written in German and then translated into English:

The Zeppelins
The Development of the Airship, with the Story of the Zeppelins Air Raids in the World War


This book is rare and I don't yet have a copy of it, but 7 chapters were published online here:

http://www.hydrogencommerce.com/zepplins/zepplins.htm

[Smuggler]

I took these photos several years ago at the Imperial War Museum in London. As I remember, they also gave the Cloud Car good paly in "Hell's Angels", and in the movie "Zeppilin".

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[CanisD]

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/ac-usn22/z-types/zrs5-o.htm
Scroll down a bit to see two pictures of Macon's cloud car. It was used with some success on Macon, after early tests failed due to instability. Little need was seen for it, due to the plan to use Macon as a carrier and not a direct scout.

[Smuggler]

Got this reply from the IWM on their Cloud Car:

21 June 2006

Dear Mr Kristen

Thank you for your email regarding your interest in the Zeppelin
observation car on display in our Museum.

According to our caption the observation car was found near Colchester
in Essex after the heavy German air raid on the night of 2-3 September
(also the night when William Leefe Robinson became the first person to
shoot down a Zeppelin). It is believed that the car comes from LZ90 and
had been lowered down unmanned, got out of control and then become
detached.

LZ90's maiden voyage had been on 1 January 1916 and it took part in
six raids before being lost in November 1916 when its ground crew were
unable to secure it during a storm. It was last seen floating away over
the North Sea.

I hope these details are of interest to you.

Yours sincerely



Mrs Katherine Moody
Printed Books
Imperial War Museum, London

[Digger]

Thanks for the wonderful input, this has been helpful. Also to contribute to the knowledge I just learned that all US Navy airships carried a subcloud car, though I still have little info on the German or British airships, except that some of them did have them, I would guess that many of the German airships after the LZ-26 (Z-12) (which had the first subcloud car), which were used in bombing missions probably had them, i know that the LZ-45 (L-13) had one, so its safe to assume that most of the ships built between these two had them. As far as the British airships, all I know is that they were used in some of the ships, unfortunately I have yet to find any info on which ones had them, though I would assume that they would resemble the German and American models, which seem to be pretty much identical, except for the material used in their construction.
:cheers:

[Danthekiwi]

I have not seen much on these. There are a couple of good photos, I found all of them online. The best discussion I have seen was in a book by Ernst Lehmann (an early airship captain who came up with the idea) which was written in German and then translated into English:

The Zeppelins
The Development of the Airship, with the Story of the Zeppelins Air Raids in the World War


This book is rare and I don't yet have a copy of it, but 7 chapters were published online here:

http://www.hydrogencommerce.com/zepplins/zepplins.htm


I happen to have this book, the base museum had a copy out the back gathering dust and i have it on loan, its good as the previous owner made an index for all the airships mentioned. If people are desperate i could type up sections but it may take me ages.

ASAIK from the book the car was carried by Lehman on all of his ships, from the outset of the war, he always knew he was sacrificing payload by carrying it, but was itching to use it. He never really found favourable conditions. In which to use it. One of the main problems being (i guess static) electricity building up in the cable as it travelled through the clouds. In the book Lehman states an example where he used it returning to germany from a raid on england, they were unsure of their location so the car was lowered very carefully to see if they were over water or over denmark.

[Charles Adams]

Of all the books I have read so far, I find this one to be one of the best since it's a first-hand account of what actually happened. I hope to get a copy of the entire book one day! What I have read so far has been fascinating. . . :D

[zoomar]

Reading some of the other articles about the stratospheric airship on the hydrogen site, I couldn't help but notice that Lockheed-Martin is taking credit for building over 100 airships for the USN, including USS Akron and Macon. I guess at some point in the past several years they must have gobbled up Goodyear Aerospace. I suppose then they are technically right, but it seems just a tad dishonest to the memory of Goodyear and Goodyear-Zeppelin.

Oh well.