Okay it's Friday and the msgs comparing the Vanagon to a Zeppelin
hanger gave me a good idea for a name for my '90 Westy. I've only had it ten
years, so it's time. "Lead Zeppelin"! Okay, maybe it's been used before, but
comparing to the Hindenburg, there are similarities.
The German heritage. Lots of room inside. Similar aerodynamics, although
they used the term 'fineness ratio', length divided by diameter,
6 to 1 for the Hindenburg. Similar top speed, 84.4 mph. And they both leaked
something, catastrophically in some cases but maybe with a little help from
a sabateur. Just glad I don't have to pay for the fill-up of the Hindenburg,
143,650 lbs of diesel fuel for the 4 1100hp Mercedes Benz diesels plus two
100 hp generators! But then you got a range of
8,750 miles.
The above facts came from "What About the Airship?" by CDR C.E.
Rosendahl, C.O. of NAS Lakehurst in 1937.

Jerry
'90 Westy "Lead Zeppelin"