529: Chapter 529 Safety is the greatest luxury!

During World War I, airships were widely used for military reconnaissance, artillery spotting, and coastal patrols due to their long endurance and high payload capacity. They could hover over the battlefield for extended periods, providing continuous surveillance and reconnaissance services that were beyond the reach of fixed-wing aircraft at the time.

In the 1920s and 30s, the development of airships reached its peak, making them the mainstay of transoceanic aviation.

Germany's "Graf Zeppelin" completed several feats, including a round-the-world flight in 1929.

Countries like Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom built large passenger airships, attempting to establish transatlantic and transcontinental air traffic networks.

The interior facilities of airships were luxurious, making them synonymous with luxury air travel of that era.

The decline of airships stemmed from a massive air disaster in 1937.

The German airship "Hindenburg" exploded due to a Hydrogen ignition caused by a static spark while landing, turning the hull to ashes within 34 seconds and resulting in 35 deaths. This crash completely exposed the safety hazards of Hydrogen airships, dealt a heavy blow to public confidence in airship safety, and became the "ending symbol" of the airship era.

The reason for such a massive accident was inseparable from the United States' ban on Helium exports to Germany.

The Hindenburg could only be filled with highly flammable Hydrogen, planting the seeds for the accident.

On the other hand, operational and environmental factors during the flight and landing triggered the disaster.

At the time, the airship was delayed by 12 hours due to headwinds and encountered thunderstorms upon arriving at the airport. The captain, eager to land, ordered a sharp left turn when the wind direction suddenly changed. The immense pressure caused a tension wire near gas bag No. 4 to snap, tearing the bag and allowing Hydrogen to leak.

The thunderstorm caused the airship's hull to be filled with electrical charges. When ground crew members grabbed the mooring lines soaked by rain, the ropes acted as grounding wires. The metal frame of the airship grounded and discharged, producing a static spark that instantly ignited the leaking Hydrogen. The fire engulfed the entire airship in just 34 seconds.

Furthermore, the surface coating of the Hindenburg was made of iron oxide and cellulose acetate, with flammable aluminum powder added for hardening. This coating itself was a highly flammable mixture, with a flammability comparable to rocket fuel.

When the airship's hull experienced slight spontaneous combustion due to static electricity, this coating quickly fueled the fire, allowing the flames to spread rapidly and accelerating the destruction of the airship. This was one of the key reasons the fire went out of control in such a short time.

It was also because of this massive air disaster that modern airships all use the inert gas Helium to fill their gas bags.

Zhao Fusu pulled his thoughts back. If he were to build airships, for the sake of safety, he certainly couldn't use Hydrogen to fill the gas bags; instead, he would use the inert gas Helium.

The outer surface of the gas bags could not use flammable materials either.

Even if the cost was slightly higher, he would use sealing materials that could reduce the risk of combustion.

Safety is the greatest luxury!

For power, it would be best to use an Internal Combustion Engine. The size of a Steam Engine is too massive, and it also requires storing a large amount of water, which would greatly reduce the cargo capacity!

Zhao Fusu thought that once the airships were built, besides allowing them to fly within the borders of Great Qin, they should also be brought to the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions to fly around, increasing Great Qin's deterrence over the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions.

This could greatly ensure the safety of Great Qin merchants in the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions.

Otherwise, wealth stirs the heart; Great Qin merchants making a fortune in the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions would inevitably attract the covetous eyes of the various forces within those kingdoms.