Hindenburg flew across the Atlantic Ocean more than ten times. It had a total of sixty three flights during its short two year life. On May 6th, 1937, The Hindenburg crashed while it was landing at Lakehurst, New Jersey. Many decisions had to be made when constructing the Hindenburg.
One of which was what gas to use. Helium and Hydrogen were the two main elements to choose from. Helium is heavier than Hydrogen but is more practical as far as safety goes. Helium is a non-flammable gas. Hydrogen, on the other hand, is the lightest element on earth and generates more lift than Helium by is highly flammable. . Originally the Hindenburg’s primary lifting gas was Helium because it was safe and a non-flammable gas. Unfortunately, the Zeppelin Company couldn’t use Helium because the United States owned a monopoly on Helium and outlawed its export. Ultimately the decision went to Hydrogen as the primary lifting gas for the Hindenburg. The Hindenburg disaster in 1937 had a major impact on the Zeppelin Industry. Although not the biggest airship disaster in history, it devastated the public because of its vast media coverage. Because of this, people wouldn’t travel on airships anymore. The Hindenburg disaster made the Zeppelin Industry realize that Helium was the only safest alternative to flammable Hydrogen. The Hindenburg is known now as the disaster that marks the end of the airship
era. In conclusion, The Hindenburg was the largest airship that ever flew. It was a great tourist attraction all around the world in its era. This airship had a major impact in the scientific community as it was the largest airship ever constructed. All in all The Hindenburg was a major accomplishment for the world in whole despite its devastating end.