View source for LZ 129 Hindenburg

{{Short description|German airship burned in fire (in service 1936–1937)}}
{{Redirect|The Hindenburg||Hindenburg (disambiguation){{!}}Hindenburg}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:LZ 129 ''Hindenburg''}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2018}}
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{{Infobox aircraft
| name = LZ 129 ''Hindenburg''
| image = Hindenburg at lakehurst.jpg
| caption = ''Hindenburg'' at [[Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst|NAS Lakehurst]]
| aircraft_type = [[Hindenburg-class airship|''Hindenburg''-class airship]]
| other_names = <!--Other names (nicknames, nose art names) this aircraft is known by-->
| manufacturer = {{lang|de|italic=no|[[Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH]]}}
| civil_registration = ''D-LZ129''
| construction_date = 1931–1936
| radio_code = DEKKA<ref>{{cite book|title=Transports of Delight: How Technology Materializes Human Imagination|page=29|first=Peter|last=Hancock|publisher=Springer|location=Cham, Switzerland|year=2017|isbn=978-3-319-55247-7}}</ref>
| owners = [[Deutsche Zeppelin Reederei]]
| in_service = 1936–1937
| first_flight = March 4, 1936
| last_flight = May 6, 1937
| flights = 63<ref>[http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/flight-schedule List of Flights by D-LZ129 "Hindenburg"]. ''Airships.net''.</ref>
| total_hours = 
| total_distance = 
| fate = [[Hindenburg disaster|Destroyed in fire and crash]]; remains later scrapped 
| preservation = 
}}
'''LZ 129 ''Hindenburg''''' ({{lang|de|Luftschiff Zeppelin #129}}; [[Aircraft registration|registration]]: '''D-LZ 129''') was a German commercial passenger-carrying [[rigid airship]], the [[lead ship]] of [[Hindenburg class airship|its class]], the longest class of flying machine and the largest airship by envelope volume.<ref name="specs"/> It was designed and built by the Zeppelin Company ({{lang|de|[[Luftschiffbau Zeppelin|Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH]]}}) on the shores of [[Lake Constance]] in [[Friedrichshafen]], [[Nazi Germany|Germany]],  and was operated by the German Zeppelin Airline Company ({{lang|de|[[Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei]]}}). It was named after [[Field Marshal]] [[Paul von Hindenburg]], who was [[President of Germany (1919–1945)|President of Germany]] from 1925 until his death in 1934.

The airship first flew from March 1936 as a [[#Die Deutschlandfahrt|Nazi propaganda]] vessel until it [[Hindenburg disaster|burst into flames]] 14 months later on May 6, 1937, while attempting to land at [[Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst|Lakehurst Naval Air Station]] in [[Manchester Township, New Jersey]], at the end of the first North American transatlantic journey of its second season of service. This was the last of the [[List of airship accidents|great airship disasters]]; it was preceded by the crashes of the British [[R38]], the US airship ''[[Roma (airship)|Roma]]'', the French ''[[Dixmude (airship)|Dixmude]]'', the {{USS|Shenandoah|ZR-1|6}}, the British [[R101]], and the {{USS|Akron}}.

==Design and development==
{{Main|Hindenburg_class_airship#Design_and_development|l1=''Hindenburg''-class airship}}

The Zeppelin Company had proposed ''LZ 128'' in 1929, after the world flight of the LZ 127 [[LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin|''Graf Zeppelin'']]. This ship was to be approximately {{cvt|245|m}} long and carry {{convert|140000|m3}} of [[hydrogen]]. Ten [[MTU Friedrichshafen|Maybach]] engines were to power five tandem engine cars (a plan from 1930 showed only four). The disaster of the British airship ''R 101'' prompted the Zeppelin Company to reconsider the use of hydrogen, therefore scrapping the LZ 128 in favour of a new airship designed for [[helium]], the LZ 129. Initial plans projected the LZ 129 to have a length of {{Convert|248|m}}, but {{cvt|11|m}} was dropped from the tail in order to allow the ship to fit in [[Lakehurst Hangar No. 1]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Zeppelin Hindenburg: An Illustrated History of LZ-129|last1=Grossman|first1=Dan|last2=Ganz|first2=Cheryl|last3=Russell|first3=Patrick|publisher=The History Press|year=2017|isbn=978-0750969956|pages=33}}</ref>

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1986-127-05, Bau des Luftschiffs LZ 129 "Hindenburg".jpg|thumb|left|''Hindenburg'' under construction]]

Manufacturing of components began in 1931, but construction of the ''Hindenburg'' did not commence until March 1932. The delay was largely due to [[Daimler-Benz]] designing and refining the LOF-6 [[diesel engine|diesel]] engines to reduce weight while fulfilling the output requirements set by the Zeppelin Company.<ref name=":0" />

''Hindenburg'' had a [[duralumin]] structure, incorporating 15 [[Ferris wheel]]-like main ring [[Bulkhead (partition)|bulkheads]] along its length, with 16 [[cotton]] gas bags fitted between them. The bulkheads were braced to each other by longitudinal [[girder]]s placed around their circumferences. The airship's outer skin was of cotton [[Aircraft dope|doped]] with a mixture of reflective materials intended to protect the gas bags within from [[radiation]], both [[ultraviolet]] (which would damage them) and [[infrared]] (which might cause them to overheat). The gas cells were made by a new method pioneered by [[Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company|Goodyear]] using multiple layers of gelatinized [[latex]] rather than the previous [[goldbeater's skin]]s. In 1931 the Zeppelin Company purchased {{convert|5000|kg|lb|abbr=on}} of duralumin salvaged from the wreckage of the October 1930 crash of the British airship [[R101]].<ref>[http://www.aht.ndirect.co.uk/airships/r101/Crash/R101_Crash.htm "R101: the Final Trials and Loss of the Ship."] The Airship Heritage Trust. Retrieved October 27, 2010.</ref>

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 147-0640, Luftschiff Hindenburg (LZ-129), Speisesaal.jpg|thumb|right|Dining room]]
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 147-0639, Luftschiff Hindenburg (LZ-129), Gesellschaftsraum.jpg|thumb|right|Lounge, with the world map painted on the wall]]

''Hindenburg''{{'}}s  interior furnishings were designed by [[Fritz August Breuhaus]], whose design experience included [[Pullman Company|Pullman coaches]], [[ocean liner]]s, and [[warship]]s of the [[German Navy]].<ref name="breuhaus">Lehmann 1937, p. 319.</ref> The upper "A" Deck contained 25 small two-passenger cabins in the middle flanked by large public rooms: a dining room to [[Port and starboard|port]] and a lounge and writing room to [[Port and starboard|starboard]]. Paintings on the dining room walls portrayed the ''Graf Zeppelin''{{'}}s trips to [[South America]]. A stylized world map covered the wall of the lounge. Long slanted windows ran the length of both decks. The passengers were expected to spend most of their time in the public areas, rather than their cramped cabins.<ref name="public-areas">Dick and Robinson 1985, p. 96.</ref>

The lower "B" Deck contained washrooms, a [[mess hall]] for the crew, and a smoking lounge. [[Harold G. Dick]], an American representative from the Goodyear Zeppelin Company,<ref>[http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=899 "The Goodyear Zeppelin Company."] ''Ohio History Central.'' Retrieved October 27, 2010.</ref> recalled  "The only entrance to the smoking room, which was pressurized to prevent the admission of any leaking hydrogen, was via the bar, which had a swiveling air lock door, and all departing passengers were scrutinized by the bar steward to make sure they were not carrying out a lit cigarette or pipe."<ref name="lounge">Dick and Robinson 1985, p. 97.</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=uN4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA846 "LZ-129 The Latest Airship,"] ''Popular Mechanics'', June 1935.</ref>

===Use of hydrogen instead of helium===
[[Helium]] was initially selected for the lifting gas because it was the safest to use in airships, as it is not flammable.<ref name="Macgregor">MacGregor, Anne. "The Hindenburg Disaster: Probable Cause" (Documentary film). ''Moondance Films/Discovery Channel,'' Broadcast air date: 2001.</ref> One proposed measure to save helium was to make double-gas cells for 14 of the 16 gas cells; an inner hydrogen cell would be protected by an outer cell filled with helium,<ref name="Macgregor"/><ref>{{cite web|last1=Grossman|first1=Dan|title=Hindenburg Design and Technology|url=http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/design-technology|website=Airships.net|access-date=June 9, 2015|archive-date=May 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513003419/http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/design-technology|url-status=dead}}</ref> with vertical ducting to the dorsal area of the envelope to permit separate filling and venting of the inner hydrogen cells. At the time, however, helium was also relatively rare and extremely expensive as the gas was available in industrial quantities only from distillation plants at certain [[oil field]]s in the United States. [[Hydrogen]], by comparison, could be cheaply produced by any industrialized nation and being lighter than helium also provided more lift. Because of its expense and rarity, American rigid airships using helium were forced to conserve the gas at all costs and this hampered their operation.<ref>Vaeth 2005, p. 38.</ref>

Despite a U.S. ban on the export of helium under the [[Helium Act of 1925|Helium Control Act of 1927]],{{sfn|Sears|2015|pages=108–113}} the Germans designed the airship to use the far safer gas in the belief that they could convince the U.S. government to license its export. When the designers learned that the National Munitions Control Board refused to lift the export ban, they were forced to re-engineer ''Hindenburg'' to use flammable hydrogen gas, which was the only alternative [[Lifting gas|lighter-than-air gas]] that could provide sufficient lift.<ref name="Macgregor"/> One of the side benefits of being forced to utilize the flammable yet lighter hydrogen was that more passenger cabins could be added.

==Operational history==

===Launching and trial flights===
[[File:Zeppelin Postkarte 1936 a.jpg|thumb|right|''Hindenburg'' on its first flight on March 4, 1936. The name of the airship was not yet painted on the hull.]]
Four years after construction began in 1932, ''Hindenburg'' made its [[Maiden flight|maiden test flight]] from the Zeppelin [[dockyard]]s at [[Friedrichshafen]] on March 4, 1936, with 87 passengers and crew aboard. These included the Zeppelin Company chairman, [[Hugo Eckener|Dr. Hugo Eckener]], as commander, former [[World War I]] Zeppelin commander Lt. Col. Joachim Breithaupt representing the German Air Ministry, the Zeppelin Company's eight airship captains, 47 other crew members, and 30 dockyard employees who flew as passengers.<ref>Lehmann 1937, p. 323.</ref> [[Harold G. Dick]] was the only non-Luftschiffbau representative aboard. Although the name ''Hindenburg'' had been quietly selected by Eckener over a year earlier,<ref>"The Airship". ''British Quarterly Journal'', Spring 1935.</ref> only the airship's formal registration number (D-LZ129) and the five [[Olympic rings#Olympic rings|Olympic rings]] (promoting the [[1936 Summer Olympics]] to be held in Berlin that August) were displayed on the hull during its trial flights. As the airship passed over [[Munich]] on its second trial flight the next afternoon, the city's Lord Mayor, [[Karl Fiehler]], asked Eckener by radio the LZ129's name, to which he replied "''Hindenburg''". On March 23, ''Hindenburg'' made its first passenger and mail flight, carrying 80 reporters from Friedrichshafen to [[Löwenthal]]. The ship flew over [[Lake Constance]] with ''Graf Zeppelin''.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Zeppelin airship LZ 129 Hindenburg|last=Waibel|first=Barbara|publisher=Sutton Verlag |year=2013|isbn=9783954003013}}</ref>

[[File:Hindenburg_D-LZ129-logotype.svg|thumb|left|''Hindenburg''{{'}}s [[logotype]] (modern recreation)]]

The name ''Hindenburg'' lettered in {{convert|1.8|m|adj=mid}} high red [[Fraktur (script)|Fraktur script]] (designed by Berlin advertiser Georg Wagner) was added to its hull three weeks later before the {{lang|de|Deutschlandfahrt}} on March 26. No formal naming ceremony for the airship was ever held.<ref>[http://www.airships.net/blog/hindenburg-flight-march-4-1936 "Today in History: Hindenburg's First Flight, March 4, 1936"]. ''Airships.net''. Retrieved October 27, 2010.</ref> 

[[File:Zeppelin Reederei.svg|thumb|Flag of the {{lang|de|italic=no|Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei GmbH}}]]

The airship was operated commercially by the {{lang|de|italic=no|[[Deutsche Zeppelin Reederei]] (DZR) [[Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung|GmbH]]}}, which had been established by [[Hermann Göring]] in March 1935 to increase Nazi influence over airship operations.<ref>{{lang|de|italic=no|[http://www.airships.net/deutsche-zeppelin-reederei "Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei (DZR)"]}}. ''Airships.net''. Retrieved October 27, 2010.</ref> The DZR was jointly owned by the {{lang|de|italic=no|[[Luftschiffbau Zeppelin]]}} (the airship's builder), the [[Air Ministry (Germany)|Reichsluftfahrtministerium]] (German Air Ministry), and {{lang|de|italic=no|[[Deutsche Luft Hansa|Deutsche Lufthansa A.G.]]}} (Germany's national airline at that time), and also operated the {{ship|LZ 127|Graf Zeppelin}} during its last two years of commercial service to South America from 1935 to 1937. ''Hindenburg'' and its sister ship, the {{ship|LZ 130|Graf Zeppelin II}} (launched in September 1938), were the only two airships ever purpose-built for regular commercial transatlantic passenger operations, although the latter never entered passenger service before being scrapped in 1940.

After a total of six flights made over a three-week period from the Zeppelin dockyards where the airship had been built, ''Hindenburg'' was drafted{{sndash}}over Hugo Eckener's objections{{sndash}}for a formal public debut in a {{cvt|6600|km|-1}} Nazi Party propaganda flight around Germany ({{lang|de|Die Deutschlandfahrt}}, {{literal translation|The Germany Journey}}) made jointly with the {{lang|de|Graf Zeppelin}} from March 26 to 29.<ref>Lehmann 1937, pp. 323–332.</ref> This was to be followed by its first commercial passenger flight, a four-day transatlantic voyage to [[Rio de Janeiro]] that departed from the [[Friedrichshafen Airport]] in nearby Löwenthal on March 31.<ref>Lehmann 1937, p. 341.</ref> After again departing from Löwenthal on 6 May on its first of ten round trips to North America made in 1936,<ref>"Hindenburg Begins First U.S. Flight". ''The New York Times''. May 7, 1936.</ref> all ''Hindenburg''{{'}}s subsequent transatlantic flights to both North and South America originated at the airport at [[Frankfurt am Main]].<ref>"Hindenburg is off on 2d U.S. Flight". ''The New York Times''. May 17, 1936.</ref><ref>[http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/flight-schedule "Hindenburg Flight Schedules"]. ''Airships.net''. Retrieved October 27, 2010.</ref>

==={{lang|de|Die Deutschlandfahrt}}===
[[File:Deutschlandfahrt leaflet 1936.jpg|thumb|upright|Propaganda leaflet dropped from ''Hindenburg'' during the {{lang|de|Deutschlandfahrt}}, quoting Adolf Hitler's March 7 Rhineland speech in the {{lang|de|Reichstag}}]]

Although designed and built for commercial transatlantic passenger, air freight, and mail service, at the behest of the [[Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda|Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda ({{lang|de|cat=no|Reichsministerium für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda}} or {{lang|de|cat=no|Propagandaministerium}})]], ''Hindenburg'' was first pressed into use by the Air Ministry (its DLZ co-operator) as a vehicle for the delivery of Nazi propaganda.<ref>"Propaganda 'attack' made by Zeppelins". ''The New York Times''. March 29, 1936.</ref> On March 7, 1936, ground forces of the [[German Reich]] had entered and occupied the [[Rhineland]], a region bordering [[France]], which had been designated in the 1919 [[Treaty of Versailles]] as a [[Demilitarized zone|de-militarized zone]] established to provide a buffer between Germany and that neighboring country.

[[File:Wahlzettel-3.-Reich.jpg|thumb|left|March 29, 1936, plebiscite ballot]]

In order to justify its [[Remilitarization of the Rhineland|remilitarization]]—which was also a violation of the 1925 [[Locarno Pact]]<ref>"Belgium Insistent on Locarno Terms". ''The New York Times''. March 12, 1936.</ref>—a ''post hoc'' [[1936 German election and referendum|referendum]] was quickly called by Hitler for March 29 to "ask the German people" to both ratify the Rhineland's occupation by the German Army, and to approve a single party list composed exclusively of Nazi candidates to sit in the new [[Reichstag (Weimar Republic)|Reichstag]]. The ''Hindenburg'' and the ''Graf Zeppelin'' were designated by the government as a key part of the process.<ref>"Two Reich Zeppelins on Election Tour". ''The New York Times''.  March 27, 1936.</ref> As a public relations ploy, Propaganda Minister [[Joseph Goebbels]] demanded that the Zeppelin Company make the two airships available for a tour of Germany ({{lang|de|Deutschlandfahrt}}), flying "in tandem" around Germany over the four-day period prior to the voting with a joint departure from Löwenthal on the morning of March 26.<ref>[http://specialcollections.wichita.edu/exhibits/haldick/images/hd-propa.JPG Photograph of ''Hindenburg'' and ''Graf Zeppelin'' preparing to depart Löwenthal on ''Die Deutschlandfahrt''.] ''specialcollections.wichita.edu''. Retrieved January 11, 2010.</ref>{{bsn|reason=Link to supporting page with context, not directly to the image|date=November 2025}}

The Zeppelin Company chairman, Dr. Hugo Eckener, disapproved of this propaganda use of his craft.  According to American reporter [[William L. Shirer]], "Hugo Eckener, who is getting [the Hindenburg] ready for its maiden flight to Brazil, strenuously objected to putting it in the air this weekend on the ground it was not fully tested, but Dr. Goebbels insisted. Eckener, no friend of the regime, refused to take it up himself, but allowed Captain [Ernst] Lehmann to. [Goebbels] is reported howling mad and is determined to get Eckener."<ref>Shirer, William L. (2011) [1st pub. 1941]. "March 29, 1936". ''Berlin Diary''. Rosetta Books.</ref>

While gusty wind conditions on the morning March 26 threatened a safe launch of the new airship, ''Hindenburg''{{'}}s commander, Captain [[Ernst Lehmann]], was determined to impress the politicians, Nazi party officials, and press present at the airfield with an "on time" departure and thus proceeded with its launch despite the adverse conditions. As the massive airship began to rise under full engine power she was caught by a 35-degree crosswind gust, causing her lower vertical [[Vertical stabilizer|tail fin]] to strike and be dragged across the ground, resulting in significant damage to the bottom portion of the [[airfoil]] and its attached [[rudder]].<ref>Lehmann 1937, p. 326.</ref><ref>[http://specialcollections.wichita.edu/exhibits/haldick/images/hd-fins1.JPG Photograph by Harold Dick of damaged lower vertical tail fin.] specialcollections.wichita.edu. Retrieved January 11, 2010.</ref>{{bsn|reason=Link to supporting page with context, not directly to the image|date=November 2025}} Hugo Eckener was furious and rebuked Lehmann.<ref>Eckener 1958, pp. 150–151.</ref>

''Graf Zeppelin'', which had been hovering above the airfield waiting for ''Hindenburg'' to join it, had to start off on the propaganda mission alone while LZ 129 returned to her hangar. There temporary repairs were quickly made to its [[empennage]] before joining up with the smaller airship several hours later.<ref>[http://specialcollections.wichita.edu/exhibits/haldick/images/hd-fins2.JPG "Photograph by Harold Dick of temporary repair to lower vertical tail fin"]. ''specialcollections.wichita.edu''. Retrieved January 11, 2010.</ref>{{bsn|reason=Link to supporting page with context, not directly to the image|date=November 2025}} As millions of Germans watched from below, the two giants of the sky sailed over Germany for the next four days and three nights, dropping propaganda leaflets, blaring martial music and slogans from large loudspeakers, and broadcasting political speeches from a makeshift radio studio aboard ''Hindenburg''.<ref>Lehmann 1937, pp. 326–332.</ref>

On March 29, as German citizens voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Rhineland re-occupation, the ''Hindenburg'' was aloft over Berlin.  Later, Hugo Eckener privately mocked Goebbels by telling friends, "There were forty persons on the ''Hindenburg''. Forty-two 'yes' votes were counted." William Shirer recorded: "Goebbels has forbidden the press to mention Eckener's name."<ref>"April 1936". ''Berlin Diary''.</ref>

===First commercial passenger flight===
[[File:Zeppelin Passenger Pins.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Zeppelin passenger lapel pins]]
[[File:Hindenburg in Rio 1936.jpg|thumb|left|The ''Hindenburg'' after its first flight to Rio in April 1936. There is a temporary repair of the lower fin after the accident at {{lang|de|Die Deutschlandfahrt}}.]]

With the completion of voting on the referendum (which the German Government claimed had been approved by a "98.79% 'Yes' vote"),<ref>"Hitler gets biggest vote: Many blanks counted in, 542,953 are invalidated.  Some 'Noes' Not Counted; Confusion Causes Counting of Blanks and Many May Have Shown Opposition". ''The New York Times''. March 30, 1936.</ref><ref>"Foreign News: May God Help Us!" ''Time''. April 6, 1936.</ref> ''Hindenburg'' returned to Löwenthal on March 29 to prepare for its first commercial passenger flight, a transatlantic passage to [[Rio de Janeiro]] scheduled to depart from there on March 31.<ref>Mooney 1972, pp. 82–85.</ref> Hugo Eckener was not to be the commander of the flight, however, but was instead relegated to being a "supervisor" with no operational control over ''Hindenburg'' while Ernst Lehmann had command of the airship.<ref>"Transport: Von Hindenburg to Rio". ''Time''. April 13, 1936.</ref> To add insult to injury, Eckener learned from an [[Associated Press]] reporter upon ''Hindenburg''{{'}}s arrival in Rio that Goebbels had also followed through on his month-old threat to decree that Eckener's name would "no longer be mentioned in German newspapers and periodicals" and "no pictures nor articles about him shall be printed."<ref>Mooney 1972, p. 86.</ref> This action was taken because of Eckener's opposition to using ''Hindenburg'' and ''Graf Zeppelin'' for political purposes during the {{lang|de|Deutschlandfahrt}}, and his "refusal to give a special appeal during the Reichstag election campaign endorsing Chancellor [[Adolf Hitler]] and his policies."<ref>"Eckener Refused Election Plea for Hitler: Name Barred From the Press as a Result". ''The New York Times''. April 3, 1936.</ref> The existence of the ban was never publicly acknowledged by Goebbels, and it was quietly lifted a month later.<ref>"Eckener's Disgrace Ends: Zeppelin Expert is Victor in Clash with Goebbels". ''The New York Times''. April 30, 1936.</ref>

While at Rio, the crew noticed one of the engines had noticeable carbon buildup from having been run at low speed during the propaganda flight days earlier.<ref>Dick and Robinson 1985, p. 119.</ref> On the return flight from South America, the automatic valve for gas cell 3 stuck open.<ref>Dick and Robinson 1985, p. 118.</ref> Gas was transferred from other cells through an inflation line. It was never understood why the valve stuck open, and subsequently the crew used only the hand-operated maneuvering valves for cells 2 and 3. Thirty-eight hours after departure, one of the airship's four [[Daimler-Benz]] 16-cylinder [[diesel engine]]s (engine car no. 4, the forward port engine) suffered a [[wrist pin]] breakage, damaging the [[piston]] and [[Cylinder (engine)|cylinder]]. Repairs were started immediately and the engine functioned on fifteen cylinders for the remainder of the flight. Four hours after engine 4 failed, engine no. 2 ([[Fore and aft|aft]] port) was shut down, as one of two bearing cap bolts for the engine [[crankshaft]] failed and the cap fell into the crank case. The cap was removed and the engine was run again, but when the ship was off [[Cape Juby]] the second cap broke and the engine was shut down again. The engine was not run again to prevent further damage. With three engines operating at a speed of {{cvt|100.7|km/h}} and headwinds reported over the [[English Channel]], the crew raised the airship in search of counter-[[trade wind]]s usually found above {{convert|1500|m}}, well beyond the airship's [[pressure altitude]]. Unexpectedly, the crew found such a wind at the lower altitude of {{convert|1100|m}} which permitted them to guide the airship safely back to Germany after gaining emergency permission from France to fly a more direct route over the [[Rhône Valley]]. The nine-day flight covered {{convert|20529|km}} in 203 hours and 32 minutes of flight time.<ref>"Two Motors Crippled as Zeppelin Lands". ''The New York Times''. April 11, 1936.</ref> All four engines were later overhauled and no further problems were encountered on later flights.<ref>Lehmann 1937, pp. 341–342.</ref> For the rest of April, ''Hindenburg'' remained at its hangar where the engines were overhauled and the lower fin and rudder received a final repair; the ground clearance of the lower rudder was increased from 8 to 14 degrees.

===1936 transatlantic season===
[[File:LZ 129 Hindenburg with RD-4 over Lakehurst May 1936.jpg|thumb|LZ 129 arrival at NAS Lakehurst, May 9, 1936. {{USS|Los Angeles|ZR-3}} is moored upper right.]]
[[File:Hindenburg Kitchen 1936.jpg|thumb|Hindenburg galley in 1936]]

''Hindenburg'' made 17 round trips across the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] in 1936—its first and only full year of service—with ten trips to the United States and seven to [[Brazil]]. The flights were considered demonstrative rather than routine in schedule. The first passenger trip across the [[North Atlantic]] left [[Frankfurt]] on 6 May with 56 crew and 50 passengers, arriving in [[Lakehurst, New Jersey]] on 9 May. Passengers included journalist [[Grace Marguerite Hay Drummond-Hay|Grace Drummond-Hay]] and aviation enthusiast [[Clara Adams]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Lady Grace Drummond-Hay |website=Airships.net |url=https://www.airships.net/airship-people/lady-grace-drummond-hay/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250912161417/https://www.airships.net/airship-people/lady-grace-drummond-hay/ |archive-date=2025-09-12 |access-date=2025-09-12 |language=en-US}}</ref> As the elevation at [[Frankfurt Airport|Rhein-Main]]'s airfield lies at {{cvt|111|m}} above [[sea level]], the airship could lift {{convert|6|t|lb}} more at takeoff there than she could from Friedrichshafen, which was situated at {{cvt|417|m}}.<ref>Lehmann 1937, p. 343.</ref> Each of the ten westward trips that season took 53 to 78 hours and eastward took 43 to 61 hours. The last eastward trip of the year left Lakehurst on October 10; the first North Atlantic trip of 1937 ended in the [[Hindenburg disaster|''Hindenburg'' disaster]].

In May and June 1936, ''Hindenburg'' made surprise visits to England. In May it was on a flight from America to Germany when it flew low over the [[West Yorkshire]] town of [[Keighley]]. A parcel was then thrown overboard and landed in the High Street. Two boys, Alfred Butler and Jack Gerrard, retrieved it and found the contents to be a bouquet of [[carnation]]s, a small silver cross and a letter on official note paper dated May 22, 1936. The letter read: "To the finder of this letter, please deposit these flowers and cross on the grave of my dear brother, {{lang|de|italic=no|Lt. Franz Schulte, 1 Garde Regt, zu Fuss}}, [[Prisoner of war|POW]] in [[Skipton]] cemetery in Keighley near [[Leeds]]. Many thanks for your kindness. [[Paul Schulte|John P. Schulte]], the first flying priest".<ref>{{cite book |title=The Day Before Yesterday: Being a Journal of the Year 1936 |first=George |last=Bagshawe Harrison |publisher=Cobden-Sanderson |year=1938 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wqTSAAAAMAAJ|page=121 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results?basicsearch=%22flowers%20from%20airship%22&exactsearch=true|title=Flowers from Airship: 'First Flying Priest's' Request |newspaper=The Citizen |place=Gloucester|date=May 23, 1936 |page= 4 |volume=61 |issue=20}}</ref> Historian Oliver Denton speculates that the June visit may have had a more sinister purpose: to observe the industrial heartlands of [[Northern England]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Oliver |last=Denton |title=The Rose and the Swastika: The Story of the Hindenburg's Visits to Yorkshire in May and June 1936 |date=2003 |publisher=Hudson History |place=Settle, West Yorkshire |isbn=1903783224}}</ref>

In July 1936, ''Hindenburg'' completed a record Atlantic round trip between Frankfurt and Lakehurst in 98 hours and 28 minutes of flight time (52:49 westbound, 45:39 eastbound).<ref>[http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/flight-schedule/ "Hindenburg Flight Schedule"]. ''Airships.net''.</ref> Many prominent people were passengers on the ''Hindenburg'', including boxer [[Max Schmeling]] making his triumphant return to Germany in June 1936 after his world heavyweight title knockout of [[Joe Louis]] at [[Yankee Stadium]].<ref>[http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/flight-schedule/max-schmeling/ "Max Schmeling on the Hindenburg"]. ''Airships.net''.</ref><ref>[http://centpacrr.com/Schmeling_Hindenburg.pdf "SCHMELING HOME, HAILED BY REICH; Planes Soar Over Hindenburg to Greet Boxer Who Was Ignored on Departure"]. ''The New York Times''. June 27, 1936.</ref><ref>Berg, Emmett (July/August 2004). [http://www.neh.gov/humanities/2004/julyaugust/feature/fight-the-century "Fight of the Century"]. ''Humanities'' 25(4). Retrieved January 7, 2008. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310235945/http://www.neh.gov/humanities/2004/julyaugust/feature/fight-the-century |date=March 10, 2014 }}</ref> In the 1936 season, the airship flew {{convert|191583|mi}} and carried 2,798 passengers and 160 tons of freight and mail, encouraging the {{lang|de|[[Luftschiffbau Zeppelin]]}} Company to plan the expansion of its airship fleet and transatlantic service.{{Citation needed|date = May 2016}}

The airship was said to be so stable a pen or pencil could be balanced on end atop a table without falling. Launches were so smooth that passengers often missed them, believing the airship was still docked to the [[mooring mast]]. A one-way fare between Germany and the United States was US$400 ({{Inflation|US|400|1936|fmt=eq}}); ''Hindenburg'' passengers were affluent, usually entertainers, noted sportsmen, political figures, and leaders of industry.<ref>Grossman, Dan. [http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/flight-schedule/maiden-voyage "Hindenburg's Maiden Voyage Passenger List"]. ''Airships.net''. Retrieved May 9, 2010.</ref><ref>Toland 1972, p. 9.</ref> ''Hindenburg'' was used again for propaganda when it flew over the [[Olympic Stadium (Berlin)|Olympic Stadium]] in Berlin on August 1 during the opening ceremonies of the [[1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Summer Olympic Games]]. Shortly before the arrival of [[Adolf Hitler]] to declare the Games open, the airship crossed low over the packed stadium while trailing the [[Olympic flag]] on a long weighted line suspended from its [[Gondola (airship)|gondola]].<ref>Birchall 1936</ref> On September 14, the ship flew over the annual [[Nuremberg Rally]]. On October 1, 1936, the three American journalists [[Herbert Ekins|Herbert Roslyn Ekins]], [[Leo Kieran]], and [[Dorothy Kilgallen]] boarded the vessel on the first leg of their race [[Around the World in 20 Days|around the world in 20 days]].

On October 8, 1936, ''Hindenburg'' made a 10.5 hour flight (the "Millionaires Flight") over [[New England]] carrying 72 wealthy and influential passengers including financier and future U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom [[Winthrop W. Aldrich]]; his 28-year-old nephew [[Nelson Rockefeller]], who became the [[Governor of New York]] and, later, [[Vice President of the United States]]; various German and American government officials and military officers, as well as key figures in the aviation industry, including [[Juan Trippe]], founder and Chief Executive of [[Pan American World Airways|Pan American Airways]]; and [[World War I]] flying ace Captain [[Eddie Rickenbacker]], president of [[Eastern Airlines]]. The ship arrived at [[Boston]] by noon and returned to Lakehurst at 5:22{{nbs}}pm before making its final transatlantic flight of the season back to Frankfurt.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/flight-schedule/millionaire-flight/|title=Hindenburg 'Millionaires Flight'|last=Grossman|first=Dan|website=Airships.net|access-date=June 12, 2017}}</ref>

During 1936, ''Hindenburg'' had a [[Blüthner]] aluminium [[grand piano]] placed on board in the music salon, though the instrument was removed after the first year to save weight.<ref>[http://www.bluthnerpiano.com/history.html "A History of the Blüthner Piano Company"]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070206212332/http://www.bluthnerpiano.com/history.html |date=February 6, 2007 }} Blüthner Pianos. Retrieved January 7, 2008.</ref> Over the winter of 1936–37, several alterations were made to the airship's structures. The greater lift capacity allowed nine passenger cabins to be added, eight with two beds and one with four, increasing passenger capacity to 70.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite web|url=http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/interiors/|title=The Hindenburg's Interior: Passenger Decks}}</ref> These windowed cabins were along the starboard side aft of the previously installed accommodations, and it was anticipated for the LZ 130 to also have these cabins.<ref name="Duggan">{{cite book|last1=Bauer|first1=Manfred|last2=Duggan|first2=John|title=LZ 130 'Graf Zeppelin' and the End of Commercial Airship Travel|date=1996|location=Friedrichshafen|isbn=9783895494017}}</ref> Additionally, the Olympic rings painted on the hull were removed for the 1937 season.

''Hindenburg'' also had an experimental aircraft hook-on [[trapeze]] similar to the one on the U.S. Navy Goodyear–Zeppelin built airships {{USS|Akron|ZRS-4|6}} and {{USS|Macon|ZRS-5|2}}. This was intended to allow customs officials to be flown out to ''Hindenburg'' to process passengers before landing and to retrieve mail from the ship for early delivery. Experimental hook-ons and takeoffs, piloted by [[Ernst Udet]], were attempted on March 11 and April 27, 1937, but were not very successful, owing to turbulence around the hook-up trapeze. The loss of the ship ended all prospects of further testing.<ref>Dick and Robinson 1985, pp. 142–145.</ref>

==Final flight: May 3–6, 1937==
{{Main|Hindenburg disaster|l1=Hindenburg disaster}}
[[File:Live audio recording from the scene of the Hindenburg disaster 1937-05-06 19-25 EST.oga|Live radio broadcast]]

After making the first South American flight of the 1937 season in late March, ''Hindenburg'' left Frankfurt for Lakehurst on the evening of 3 May, on its first scheduled round trip between Europe and North America that season. Although strong [[Headwind and tailwind|headwinds]] slowed the crossing, the flight had otherwise proceeded routinely as it approached for a landing three days later.<ref name=Aerospace>{{cite web |url= http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/investigations/q0277.shtml |title= Cause of the ''Hindenburg'' Disaster |website= Aero Space web |access-date= January 11, 2010 |date= June 18, 2006 |first= Joe |last= Yoon }}</ref>

''Hindenburg''{{'}}s arrival on 6 May was delayed for several hours to avoid a line of thunderstorms passing over Lakehurst, but around 7:00&nbsp;pm the airship was cleared for its final approach to the Naval Air Station, which it made at an altitude of {{cvt|200|m}} with Captain [[Max Pruss]] in command.<!--not unless he was actually steering her himself...--> At 7:21&nbsp;pm a pair of landing lines were dropped from the nose of the ship and were grabbed hold of by ground handlers. Four minutes later, at 7:25&nbsp;pm ''Hindenburg'' burst into flames and dropped to the ground in a little over half a minute. Of the 36 passengers and 61 crew aboard, 13 passengers<ref>[http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/disaster/hindenburg-passenger-list "''Hindenburg'' Disaster Passenger List"]. ''Airships.net''.</ref> and 22 crew<ref>[http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/disaster/crew-list "''Hindenburg'' Disaster – List of Officers and Crew"]. ''Airships.net''.</ref> died, as well as one member of the ground crew, a total of 36 lives lost.<ref>Thompson, Craig (May 7, 1937). "Airship Like a Giant Torch On Darkening Jersey Field: Routine Landing Converted Into Hysterical Scene in Moment's Time—Witnesses Tell of 'Blinding Flash' From Zeppelin". ''The New York Times''.</ref><ref>[http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/disaster "The ''Hindenburg'' Disaster"]. ''Airships.net''. Retrieved October 27, 2010.</ref><ref>Morrison, Herbert. [http://www.otr.com/hindenburg.shtml "Live radio account of arrival and crash of ''Hindenburg''"]. ''Radio Days'' via OTR.com. Retrieved October 27, 2010. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028152031/http://www.otr.com/hindenburg.shtml |date=October 28, 2012 }}.</ref> [[Herbert Morrison (announcer)|Herbert Morrison]]'s commentary of the incident became a classic of audio history.

The exact location of the initial fire, its source of ignition, and the source of fuel remain subjects of debate. The cause of the accident has never been determined conclusively, although many hypotheses have been proposed. [[Sabotage]] theories notwithstanding, one hypothesis often put forth involves a combination of gas leakage and atmospheric static conditions. Manually controlled and automatic valves for releasing hydrogen were located partway up one-meter diameter ventilation shafts that ran vertically through the airship.<ref>''Air Commerce Bulletin'', August 15, 1937 (vol. 9, no. 2). United States Department of Commerce.</ref> Hydrogen released into a shaft, whether intentionally or because of a stuck valve, would have mixed with air already in the shaft—potentially in an explosive ratio. Alternatively, a gas cell could have been ruptured by the breaking of a structural tension wire causing a mixing of hydrogen with air.<ref>"The Hindenburg Accident. A Comparative Digest of the Investigations and Findings With the American and Translated German Reports Included". R. W. Knight, Acting Chief, Air Transport Section. U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Air Commerce, Safety and Planning Division, Report No. 11, August 1938.</ref> The high [[Static electricity|static charge]] collected from flying within stormy conditions and inadequate grounding of the outer envelope to the frame could have ignited any resulting gas-air mixture at the top of the airship.<ref>Report of the German Investigation Commission about the Accident of the Airship "Hindenburg" on May 6, 1937, at Lakehurst, U.S.A.</ref> In support of the hypothesis that hydrogen was leaking from the aft portion of the ''Hindenburg'' prior to the conflagration, water [[ballast]] was released at the rear of the airship and six crew members were dispatched to the [[Bow (watercraft)|bow]] to keep the craft level. 

Another more recent theory involves the airship's outer covering. The silvery cloth covering contained material with [[cellulose nitrate]], which is highly flammable.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hydrogenus.com/advocate/ad22zepp.htm |title=Hydrogen Exonerated in Hindenburg Disaster |publisher=[[National Hydrogen Association]]|year=1997 |access-date=January 11, 2010 |last=Bokow |first=Jacquelyn Cochran |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100113191439/http://www.hydrogenus.com/advocate/ad22zepp.htm |archive-date=January 13, 2010 |quote=The NHA's mission is to foster the development of hydrogen technologies and their utilization in industrial, commercial, and consumer applications and promote the role of hydrogen in the energy field. |url-status=dead}}</ref> This theory is controversial and has been rejected by other researchers<ref name="Dessler">{{cite web|url=http://spot.colorado.edu/~dziadeck/zf/LZ129fire.pdf|title=The Hindenburg Hydrogen Fire: Fatal Flaws in the Addison Bain Incendiary-Paint Theory|last=Dessler |first=A. J.|date=June 3, 2004|publisher=University of Colorado, Boulder|access-date=January 13, 2012}}<!-- For use in the future if needed: archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/64fiSl1HD?url=http://spot.colorado.edu/~dziadeck/zf/LZ129fire.pdf archivedate=2012-01-13 --></ref> because the outer skin burns too slowly to account for the rapid flame propagation<ref name=Aerospace/> and gaps in the fire correspond with internal gas cell divisions, which would not be visible if the fire had spread across the skin first.<ref name="Dessler"/> Hydrogen fires had previously destroyed many other airships.<ref name="airships.net">{{cite web |url=http://www.airships.net/hydrogen-airship-accidents |title=Hydrogen Airship Disasters |website=Airships.net |date=October 2010 |access-date=January 13, 2012 |last=Grossman |first=Dan}}</ref>

The [[duralumin]] framework of ''Hindenburg'' was salvaged and shipped back to Germany. There the scrap was recycled and used in the construction of military aircraft for the {{lang|de|[[Luftwaffe]]}}, as were the frames of {{ship|LZ 127|Graf Zeppelin||2}} and {{ship|LZ 130|Graf Zeppelin II||2}} when they were scrapped in 1940.<ref>Mooney 1972, p. 262.</ref>

<gallery widths="200px" heights="160px">
File:Hindenburg Lakehurst Mail.jpg|A partially burned piece of mail from the ''Hindenburg''{{'}}s last flight
File:Hindenburg burning.jpg|''Hindenburg'' on fire
File:DLZ129 spar.jpg|A fire-scorched duralumin ''Hindenburg'' [[cross brace]] salvaged from the crash site
</gallery>

==Appearances in media==
<!-- Read [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] before adding any "Popular culture" items. The airship must have a MAJOR or "especially notable" role in what is listed. Random cruft, including look-a-like speculation, will be removed. See discussion on talk page. -->
[[File:The Hindenburg by Richie.jpg|thumb|''Hindenburg'' in 1936, with reporters and film crew]]

* [[Charlie Chan]] was a passenger aboard the ''Hindenburg'' in the 1937 film ''[[Charlie Chan at the Olympics]]''.
* An image of the burning airship was used as the cover of [[Led Zeppelin]]'s [[Led Zeppelin (album)|eponymous debut album]] (1969).<ref>Davis 1995, pp. 32, 44.</ref>
* [[The Hindenburg (film)|''The Hindenburg'']] is a 1975 film inspired by the disaster, but centered on the sabotage theory. Some of these plot elements were based on real bomb threats before the flight began, as well as proponents of the sabotage theory. The actual model from the movie is now on permanent display in the [[National Air and Space Museum]] in [[Washington, D.C.]]
* In ''[[The Waltons]]'' 1977 episode "The Inferno", John Boy Walton is sent by a publication to cover the [[New Jersey]] landing, and is traumatized by witnessing the event.
* ''Hindenburg: The Last Flight'' is a 2011 German TV miniseries directed by [[Philipp Kadelbach]]. Like the 1975 film, it also focuses on the sabotage theory; the plot is about a young engineer who uncovers a plot to blow up the Hindenburg while the German airship is preparing for its maiden voyage to America.

==Specifications==
[[File:Giant Aircraft Comparison.svg|thumb|right|''Hindenburg''-class airship compared to largest [[fixed-wing aircraft]]]]
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=''Airships: A Hindenburg and Zeppelin History site''<ref name="specs">[http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/size-speed "Hindenburg Statistics."] airships.net, 2009. Retrieved: July 22, 2017.</ref>
|prime units?=met
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|genhide=

|crew=40 to 61
|capacity=50–70<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite web|url=http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/interiors/|title=The Hindenburg's Interior: Passenger Decks}}</ref> passengers
|length m=245
|length ft=803
|length in=10
|dia m=<!-- airships etc -->41
|dia ft=<!-- airships etc -->135.1 <!--As per source!-->
|dia in=<!-- airships etc -->0
|dia note=
|volume m3=<!-- lighter-than-air -->200,000
|volume ft3=<!-- lighter-than-air -->7,062,000 <!--As per source. Shouldn't be rounded up!-->
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=4
|eng1 name=[[Daimler-Benz DB 602]] 
|eng1 type=(LOF-6) V-16 diesel engines
|eng1 kw=<!-- prop engines -->890
|eng1 hp=<!-- prop engines -->1,200
<!--
        Performance
-->
|perfhide=
|cruise speed kmh=122
|cruise speed mph=76
|max speed kmh=135
|max speed mph=85
}}

==See also==
* [[Timeline of hydrogen technologies]]
* The [[Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen]] displays a reconstruction of a 33&nbsp;m section of the ''Hindenburg''.

== Citations ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== General sources ==
{{Refbegin}}
* Airships.net [http://www.airships.net/Hindenburg LZ-129 Hindenburg]
* [http://www.airships.net/airship-travel-brochure ''Airship Voyages Made Easy'' (16 page booklet for "Hindenburg" passengers).]  Friedrichshafen, Germany: Luftschiffbau Zeppelin G.m.b.H. (Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei), 1937.
* Archbold, Rick. ''Hindenburg: An Illustrated History''. Toronto: Viking Studio/Madison Press, 1994. {{ISBN|0-670-85225-2}}.
* Birchall, Frederick.  "100,000 Hail Hitler; U.S. Athletes Avoid Nazi Salute to Him". ''The New York Times'', August 1, 1936, p.&nbsp;1.
* Botting, Douglas. ''Dr. Eckener's Dream Machine: The Great Zeppelin and the Dawn of Air Travel''. New York: Henry Holt & Co., 2001. {{ISBN|0-8050-6458-3}}.
* Davis, Stephen. ''Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga (LPC).'' New York: Berkley Boulevard Books, 1995. {{ISBN|0-425-18213-4}}.
* Dick, Harold G. and Douglas H. Robinson. ''The Golden Age of the Great Passenger Airships Graf Zeppelin & Hindenburg''. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1985. {{ISBN|1-56098-219-5}}.
* Duggan, John. ''LZ 129 "Hindenburg": The Complete Story''. Ickenham, UK: Zeppelin Study Group, 2002. {{ISBN|0-9514114-8-9}}.
* Eckener, Hugo, translated by Douglas Robinson. ''My Zeppelins''. London: Putnam & Co. Ltd., 1958.
* ''Hindenburg's Fiery Secret'' (DVD). Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Video, 2000.
* Hoehling, A.A. ''Who Destroyed The Hindenburg?'' Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1962. {{ISBN|0-445-08347-6}}.
* Lehmann, Ernst. ''Zeppelin: The Story of Lighter-than-air Craft''. London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1937.
* Majoor, Mireille. ''Inside the Hindenburg''. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2000. {{ISBN|0-316-12386-2}}.
* Mooney, Michael Macdonald. ''The Hindenburg''. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1972. {{ISBN|0-396-06502-3}}.
* [[John Provan|Provan, John]]. ''LZ-127 "Graf Zeppelin": The story of an Airship, vol. 1 & vol. 2'' (Amazon Kindle ebook). Pueblo, Colorado: Luftschiff Zeppelin Collection, 2011.
* {{cite book|last=Sears|first=Wheeler M. "Bo" Jr.|title=Helium: The Disappearing Element|location=New York|publisher=Springer|date=2015|isbn=9783319151236|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5SvABgAAQBAJ}}
* Toland, John. ''The Great Dirigibles: Their Triumphs and Disasters''.  Mineola, New York: Dover Publishers, 1972.
* Vaeth, Joseph Gordon. [https://archive.org/details/theysailedskies00jgor ''They Sailed the Skies: U.S. Navy Balloons and the Airship Program''.] Annapolis Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 2005. {{ISBN|978-1-59114-914-9}}.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|LZ 129 Hindenburg}}
* {{Internet Archive short film|id=1936-05-11_Giant_Dirigible_Sets_Record|name=Giant Dirigible Sets Record, 1936/05/11 (1936)}}
* [https://archive.org/details/SF146 ''Hindenburg'' – End Of A Successful Voyage'' (Standard 4:3) (1937), Pathgrams  (film shows docking team, passengers)]
* [https://archive.org/details/SF148 ''Hindenburg – Passengers Disembarking'' (Standard 4:3) (1937), Pathgrams (film of passengers descending ramp)]
* [http://www.highriskadventures.com/airships/lz129/ Detailed Technical Drawing of the LZ 129 ''Hindenburg'']
* [http://www.airships.net/hindenburg Airships.net: Detailed history and photographs of interior and exterior of LZ-129 ''Hindenburg'']
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=xkQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA26 "The ''Hindenburg'' Makes Her Last Landing at Lakehurst", ''Life'' Magazine article from 1937]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20141112201728/http://www.ezep.de/index.html eZEP.de, The webportal for Zeppelin mail and airship memorabilia]
* [http://www.garemaritime.com/features/hindenburg/ ''Hindenburg'': Sky Cruise. Illustrated account of a flight on the ''Hindenburg'' – with maiden voyage and final flight passenger lists]
* [http://specialcollections.wichita.edu/collections/ms/99-01/99-1-a.html Harold G. Dick Airship Collection] – lists of contents of the collection
* [http://www.zeppelin-nt.de/ ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH & Co KG.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927224845/http://www.zeppelin-nt.de/ |date=September 27, 2007 }} The modern Zeppelin company
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080701201027/http://www.nlhs.com/hindenburg.htm The ''Hindenburg'' at Navy Lakehurst Historical Society] 
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=p-IDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA220 "The Air Liners Of The Future." ''Popular Mechanics'', February 1930, the future of dirigibles as aviation experts predicted in 1930, drawings on pages 220 and 221 shows how aviation experts saw the ''Hindenburg'' then under construction, including an overhead glass covered dance floor]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=a-IDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA64 "Super-Zepp To Have All Luxuries Of A Liner."''Popular Mechanics,'' July 1932, early drawing of future ''Hindenburg'']
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=EiEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA85 "Biggest Birds That Ever Flew." ''Popular Science'', May 1962]
*[https://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2012/05/75-years-since-the-hindenburg-disaster/100292/ 75 Years Since The ''Hindenburg'' Disaster]

{{Hindenburg disaster}}
{{Hindenburg class airship}}
{{LZ Navbox}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hindenburg, The}}
[[Category:LZ 129 Hindenburg| ]]
[[Category:Paul von Hindenburg]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 1937]]
[[Category:1937 fires in the United States]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Fires in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1936]]
[[Category:Four-engined aircraft]]