Fellow Modelers,
Below are photos of Hawk/Lindbergs 1/245 scale (38.5? length) German civilian airship Graf Zeppelin built in 2008. The kit was first issued in the late 1960?s by Hawk Model Company, and featured thin vac-formed main hull halves and soft vinyl plastic engine parts. In 1976, Testors Corporation re-issued the same kit in a different box. I always wanted to add this great looking zeppelin to my collection, but the vac-form parts never let me get past the dreaming stage. In 2007 Lindbergs newly tooled re-issue of the same kit replaced the vac-form hull with hearty injection molded plastic, although the soft vinyl engine parts remained. It is a very simple kit with only a few pieces (53 total) and the details are not very accurate. Most of the time I put in this project was in correcting the toy-like gondola and engines. Listed below are several things I did to improve the kit:
-Modified and cut down the kit gondola-
-Replaced the kit engine struts with small diameter wire
-Added small diameter guy wires to the engine housings/tailfins
-Scratch built gas-shaft/air vent covers located on top of the hull
-Scratch built engine propellers
-Added photo-etched access ladders to the engine housings
-Used Woodland Scenics dry transfer decals in place of the kit decals
In painting the hull, it was first covered with Model Master primer to produce a uniform finish and conceal any tiny scratches. Alclad II dull aluminum was applied for the base color since it had a gray tone look. The patch-panel effect was achieved by masking various size squares and rectangles randomly all over the hull, then painting them Alclad II aluminum, Alclad II polished aluminum, Alclad II dark aluminum and Model Master dark anodonic gray. Finally, an overspray of dull aluminum was added to make the patch-panel effect more subtle.
Launched in October 1928, the Graf Zeppelin was the largest airship in the world at the time. It was originally built for demonstrations and to show that airships could be a viable means of regular travel. However, during its operational life it did carry passengers and mail to cover its operating costs. In August 1929, the Graf Zeppelin circumnavigated the globe. The entire voyage took 21 days, 5 hours and 31 minutes. In May 1930, it was decided to open the first regular transatlantic passenger line. Despite the beginning of the Great Depression and growing competition by fixed-wing aircraft, the Graf Zeppelin transported an increasing number of passengers and mail across the ocean every year until 1936. The Graf Zeppelin was retired from service and turned into a museum in 1937, one month after the Hindenburg disaster. In March 1940, Hermann Goring, the German Air Minister, ordered the destruction of the Graf Zeppelin and all other remaining dirigibles, so their aluminum parts could be supplied to the German war industry. During its career, the ship flew more than one million miles, made 590 flights and 144 ocean crossings. It carried 13,110 passengers with a perfect passenger safety record, making it the most successful rigid airship ever built.
Designation: Graf Zeppelin (LZ-127)
Length: 776 ft.
Overall Height: 110.6 ft.
Engines: 5 Maybach 550 HP
Maximum Speed: 80 m.p.h.
Range: 10,400 miles (at 68 m.p.h.)
Crew/Passengers: 40/20
Also included are several cool photos of the real Graf Zeppelin. I hope you enjoy the photos.
Phillip1
