Let's build a zeppelin fleet for Lenin!
This poster was released in 1931 after the Airforce Ministry of Soviet Union (Osoaviahim) declared plans to build a fleet of 7+ huge zeppelins. This was inspired by 230m German LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin airship which landed in Moscow in 1930 after its long-range voyage around the world. Zeppelins were considered to be very advanced means of transportation, mainly because of its huge payload compared to small airplanes of the era. So a promotion compaign started: workers, factories, kolkhozy - all were to collect funds for the fleet. The fleet was to be named after Lenin (1870-1924), whose cult of personality was propagated at that time. Joint efforts paid off well - more than 25 mln of rubles were collected, resulting in building of several small experimental zeppelins and 4 big ones, which in 1932-1937 were transporting loads all over the country. However, rapid development of fast airplanes which proved to be an excellent weapon against sluggish zeppelins, condemned the project. The country was on the brink of war, Nazi Germany was declaring plans to invade Russia. The country needed more airplanes, battle tanks, war ships and cannonry. The Second World War was about to erupt.
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3 comments:
That story I can to supplement with real facts of such soviet direction as begining of airship manufacturing industry. In 1932 Sowiet powers called famous polar researcher and aircraft designer Umberto Nobile, who headed new soviet state company DIRIZHABLESTROI SSSR [enterprise 'Airship builder of USSR'], which existed during 1932-1940. There were made about 15 different airships (soft and semi-rigid systems), amounf them most famous is V-6 SSSR Osoaviakhim. After WWII (till 1956) this enterprisу was reviveв with name "Dolgoprudniy Design
Bureau of Automatics" (shortly DKBA) where now Russian state continous to manufacture aerostats and airships as for Ministry of Defense order as civil market. By the way, go on DKBA's site HERE.
aerocrat
Thanks for the commentary, this is really valuable!
And i was quite surprised to find out that Luftschiffbau Zeppelin - the original company founded by Ferdinand von Zeppelin still exists although it is not as powerful as it used to be ;)
I posted a link to you in the Steampunk forum.
http://www.brassgoggles.co.uk/bg-forum/index.php?topic=4448.msg64233
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