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LZ 129 - The Hindenburg -- What really caused it catch fire


The Rover

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A PBS documentary "Secrets of the Dead: What Happened to the Hindenburg?" revealed that the reason the Hindenburg went up in flames was due to the chemical mix of the compound that was used on that specific Zeppelin. The compund was aluminum and iron oxide, basically the same stuff thath the space shuttle burns on its way up.

The unpublished Nazi investigation of the disaster revelaed that. But, it was kept secret, for the obvious reason that the Third Reich would not want to blame bad Nazi engineering on such a disaster, as well as keeping claims down. The Germans were content to allow the public to believe the finding about hydrogen being the culprit, when hydrogen only added to the fire that initiates becasue fo the compound mixture used on the outer skin.

Cath the episode on PBS, or rent or but the PBS video.

It's really a well done documentary.

And you get to see "Zep" mentioned all night to boot !!

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A PBS documentary "Secrets of the Dead: What Happened to the Hindenburg?" revealed that the reason the Hindenburg went up in flames was due to the chemical mix of the compound that was used on that specific Zeppelin. The compund was aluminum and iron oxide, basically the same stuff thath the space shuttle burns on its way up.

The unpublished Nazi investigation of the disaster revelaed that. But, it was kept secret, for the obvious reason that the Third Reich would not want to blame bad Nazi engineering on such a disaster, as well as keeping claims down. The Germans were content to allow the public to believe the finding about hydrogen being the culprit, when hydrogen only added to the fire that initiates becasue fo the compound mixture used on the outer skin.

Cath the episode on PBS, or rent or but the PBS video.

It's really a well done documentary.

And you get to see "Zep" mentioned all night to boot !!

If I remember correctly the compound ignited because of static electricity caused by a lightning bolt that arced across a loose metal tether cable around the time of the proposed landing.

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A PBS documentary "Secrets of the Dead: What Happened to the Hindenburg?" revealed that the reason the Hindenburg went up in flames was due to the chemical mix of the compound that was used on that specific Zeppelin. The compund was aluminum and iron oxide, basically the same stuff thath the space shuttle burns on its way up.

The unpublished Nazi investigation of the disaster revelaed that. But, it was kept secret, for the obvious reason that the Third Reich would not want to blame bad Nazi engineering on such a disaster, as well as keeping claims down. The Germans were content to allow the public to believe the finding about hydrogen being the culprit, when hydrogen only added to the fire that initiates becasue fo the compound mixture used on the outer skin.

Cath the episode on PBS, or rent or but the PBS video.

It's really a well done documentary.

And you get to see "Zep" mentioned all night to boot !!

Seeing as Richard Cole was the main source for that documentary, I find it's claims very hard to beleive.

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Yes, it was indeed the coating, known as the "doping compound" that was used to coat the skin. With the way it was taut over and secured to the structure, it created a highly statically charged environment. Eyewitness reports of a colorful explosion contradict the clear manner in which hydrogen burns. Furthermore, hydrogen would only burn up, while this flame burnt downward. I don't know about a lightning strike, but with such a highly static charge, simply coming into proximity to the mooring mast could create a discharge that would set it ablaze.

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Alison Krauss was responsible for the crash of Led Zeppelin

Well, the best thing about Alison's and Robert's colaboration is that she is the guity one, no matter what happens, it's all her fault. :rolleyes:

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It was not the compound painted on the zeppelin...has anybody made note of how flamible cloth is?

Cotton? I can drop a lit match on my cotton Levis and it will go out. Have you seen the footage in real time? The thing went up in seconds. It was 800 feet long! This thing wasn't "flammable", it was incendiary!

Nothing like this happened to the Graf Zeppelin, or the Akron, the Shenandoah, the Los Angeles, or any other derigible of its time. Then again, no other derigible had aluminum powder mixed into its coating. The Hindenburg was covered with a cotton fabric that had been swabbed with a doping compound to protect and strengthen it. Unfortunately, the doping compound contained a cellulose acetate or nitrate (used in gunpowder). This compound was followed by a coating of aluminum powder (which is used in rocket fuel).

All it needed was a spark. My Levis would need some serious effort to burst into flames like that.

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Yes, it was indeed the coating, known as the "doping compound" that was used to coat the skin. With the way it was taut over and secured to the structure, it created a highly statically charged environment. Eyewitness reports of a colorful explosion contradict the clear manner in which hydrogen burns. Furthermore, hydrogen would only burn up, while this flame burnt downward. I don't know about a lightning strike, but with such a highly static charge, simply coming into proximity to the mooring mast could create a discharge that would set it ablaze.

You are correct Ev !

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  • 3 years later...

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