Zeppelin R Class

what is it?

The Zeppelin R Class was a type of rigid airship developed by Zeppelin Luftschiffbau in 1916 for use by the Imperial German Navy and the German Army for bombing and naval patrol work. Introduced in July 1916 at a time when British air defences were becoming increasingly capable, several were lost in the first months of operation, leading the Germans to reconsider their technical requirements and eventually to develop airships capable of bombing from a greater height. Most surviving examples were modified to meet these requirements, by reducing weight at the expense of performance.

base stats

• speed 101 km/htop speed
• built 17made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 110 years ago, in 1916.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1916-05-28

number built

17

role

bomber and patrol airship

origin

🇩🇪 Germany

engines

6× Maybach HSLu

crew

21

length

196 m

top speed

101 km/h

range

—

ceiling

3,962 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.