Rigid Airship (Zeppelin)
Held aloft by a great, gas-filled balloon, the zeppelin mixes simple mechanics, engineering and magic to produce a durable, efficient airship. This airship has a fabric-covered rigid metal framework made up of transverse rings and longitudinal girders containing a number of individual gasbags. The advantage of this design is that the aircraft can be much larger than non-rigid airships, that relies on a slight over-pressure within the single pressure envelope to maintain their shape.
These first Zeppelins have long cylindrical hulls with tapered ends and complex multi-plane fins. The design later changed to a more streamlined shape with cruciform tail surfaces, as used by almost all later airships. They are propelled by several engines, mounted in gondolas or engine cars, which are attached to the outside of the structural framework. Some of these can provide a reverse thrust for maneuvering while mooring. They have a comparatively small externally mounted gondola for passengers and crew which is attached to the bottom of the frame.
Zeppelins are produced by sky gnome engineers, they are one of the first large airships produced. Although they can travel long distances, they can't carry much cargo or passengers. If they are attached to a guideline, they can also be self-propelled on auto-pilot to its destination. There does have to be a person on each end to program it to return to its homeport and destination though.
Power Generation
Propulsion
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