s of
the improved Zeppelin "Bodensee" carried 2,380 passengers, 11,000 pounds
of mail (440,000 letters), and 6,600 pounds of express matter, exclusive
of crews, between Friedrichshafen (Swiss frontier) and Berlin under
unfavorable weather and terminal conditions, besides a flight from
Berlin to Stockholm and return.

The U. S. Government has concluded arrangements (June, 1922) with the
Allied Powers whereby the U. S. Navy will receive a modern Zeppelin as a
part of America's share of the aerial reparations.

This new Zeppelin will embody the very latest improvements in airship
design and will be delivered by being flown from Berlin across the
Atlantic to the Navy's Airship Harbor at Lakehurst, New Jersey. It will
be built by Luftschiffbau-Zeppelin (Zeppelin Airship Building Co.,
Ltd.), at their Friedrichshafen Works and will be a 70,000 cubic meter
(2,400,000 cu. ft.) gas capacity commercial type, as it is intended that
it will be flown in the United States to demonstrate the safety and
practicability of long distance airship-transport. It will be delivered
by a Zeppelin crew. The arrival in the United States of this strictly
modern Zeppelin will no doubt create a wonderful interest as the
American people have never seen a real Zeppelin and it will give a great
impetus to airship activities throughout the world.

The U. S. Navy are building at Lakehurst, N. J., the ZR-1 modeled after
the Zeppelin L-49. The ZR-1 will be of 55,000 cubic meters (1,940,000
cu. ft.) gas capacity and is intended for use as an experimental and
training ship.

Luftschiffbau-Zeppelin is building (August, 1922) at Friedrichshafen a
Zeppelin of 30,000 cubic meters (1,059,000 cu. ft.) gas capacity to be
used for experimental and training purposes. It will be finished in the
winter of 1922-23 and in time to take advantage of some of the worst of
winter weather conditions for experiments having to do with airship
navigation under the extremes of weather and temperature.

Considerable of the information contained in these pages has been
furnished by Luftschiffbau-Zeppelin for which the author is greatly
indebted to them.

HARRY VISSERING

[PLATE 1: Zeppelin "LZ-1" First Ascent July 2nd, 1900.

Count Zeppelin's First Floating Shed on Lake Constance
(Bodensee) and the Zeppelin "LZ-1", July 1900.]

CHAPTER I

Zeppelin and His Airships

Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin was born at Constance on Lake Constance
(Bodensee), Germ