samedi 29 novembre 2014

Early Zeppelins - colours

I have recently built two early zeppelins as published by the Czech magazine ABC. I had built a few 'dirigibles' earlier (from the Epinal series) - for more pictures see my collection on https://www.flickr.com/photos/zeist_bouwplaten/



Of course both the Epinal models and the ABC models were designed long before one could simply go to Google Images and instantly find large numbers of pictures, like old photographs, postcards, artist's impressions. And naturally there are no reliable coloured pictures available either: one can only hope that the painter who made the postcard picture had at least seen one or two of the early zeppelins with his own eyes.



Now I recently managed to get hold of the very last copy of the LZ-1 from Papmobil in Germany. Printed on sandy brown/ yellow paper, and obviously based on the original construction drawings. The b/w photographs show some striking differences with how the thing was actually built. That can easily be adapted in building the model, but I am not at all happy with the colour - so here is my question:

Does anyone have any information about how the skin of the earliest zeppelins was made? I am guessing it must have been similar to the skin of the earliest aeroplanes - linen? silk? daubed with linseed oil (?) to tighten it and make it airtight?

I am thinking of the colour of reconstructions of old aeroplanes - remember 'Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines'?

Google (via Google Images) is a phantastic source of information for all these models:

Picture 1: the Nulli Secundus, very slight beige / yellow

The LZ-4: front and back were much darker than the middle section

The LZ-1 in its floating hangar, and depicted on a decorative tile.

From 'Those Magnificent Men...'



Looking forward to new information and suggestions!




Attached Images





















File Type: jpg NulliSecundus-1.jpg (215.2 KB)
File Type: jpg LZ-4,2.jpg (101.8 KB)
File Type: jpg 0217.jpg (31.8 KB)
File Type: jpg $_57.jpg (253.7 KB)
File Type: jpg ericsykes2.jpg (29.8 KB)






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