The Hindenburg, a German passenger airship, remains a powerful symbol of early 20th-century aviation and a tragic disaster. Its fiery end on May 6, 1937, in Lakehurst, New Jersey, marked a turning point for rigid airship travel. The catastrophe raised immediate questions about the engineering and materials used in these massive flying machines, particularly the gas responsible for their lift. The choice of lifting gas was a central factor in the Hindenburg’s fate, and understanding this decision reveals much about the technological and geopolitical landscape of the era.
The Chosen Lifting Gas
The Hindenburg utilized hydrogen gas for buoyancy, filling its enormous structure with approximately 7 million cubic feet (200,000 cubic meters) of the gas. Hydrogen is the lightest element, with a density roughly 1/16th that of air, making it an excellent choice for generating lift. This provided significant buoyant force, enabling the Hindenburg to carry substantial payloads and numerous passengers.
However, hydrogen possesses a well-known and dangerous property: extreme flammability. It ignites readily when mixed with oxygen, burning rapidly and intensely.
Why Hydrogen Was Used
Germany’s decision to use hydrogen in the Hindenburg stemmed from practical, economic, and political realities. Producing hydrogen was inexpensive and readily achievable in Germany through industrial processes, making it an accessible and abundant resource for their airship program. Hydrogen also offered a performance advantage over its primary alternative, providing approximately 8% to 12% more lift than helium for the same volume. This allowed the Hindenburg to carry a larger payload, more fuel, and extend its range, improving commercial efficiency for transatlantic passenger service. German engineers also had extensive experience with hydrogen-filled airships, maintaining a strong safety record with civilian Zeppelins for decades.
The Alternative: Helium’s Role
The primary alternative to hydrogen for airship lift was helium, a noble gas known for its inert and non-flammable nature. Its inherent safety made helium a highly desirable lifting gas. Helium provides slightly less lift than hydrogen, offering about 88% to 93% of hydrogen’s lifting power for the same volume.
Despite its safety advantages, Germany could not obtain sufficient quantities of helium for the Hindenburg. The United States held a near-monopoly on the world’s commercial helium supply during the 1920s and 1930s, sourced as a byproduct of natural gas extraction in American oil fields. The U.S. Congress passed the Helium Control Act of 1925, banning the export of helium to conserve it as a strategic resource for its own military airship program. This export restriction effectively forced the Hindenburg to rely on flammable hydrogen.
Connecting Gas to the Disaster
The use of hydrogen directly contributed to the catastrophic outcome of the Hindenburg disaster. When the airship caught fire while attempting to land, the hydrogen contained within its gas cells ignited with extreme rapidity. Once exposed to an ignition source, the hydrogen led to a swift conflagration that engulfed the entire airship in mere seconds.
Had the Hindenburg been filled with non-flammable helium, the disaster would have unfolded very differently. A fire, if it occurred, would likely have been confined to the airship’s outer covering and structural materials. Without hydrogen, the rapid destruction witnessed would have been prevented, altering the scale of the tragedy.