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weight and performance calculations for the Zeppelin LZ94 L46
Zeppelin LZ94 L46
role : maritime patrol, ASW, reconnaissance & bombing raids
importance : ****
first flight : 24 April 1917 operational :
country : Germany
commander : Kapitanleutnant Heinrich Hollender
class : T
production : 2 airships of this class
general information :
19 reconnaissance missions around the North Sea; 3 raids on England dropping 5,700 kg (12,600 lb) of bombs. Took part in the silent raid 19 October 1917 on England in which many Zeppelins were lost, but L46 returned home safe taken by the wind over neutral Holland back to Germany. During the raid it dropped 10 HE bombs around Walcott, Norwich, damaging Walcott Hall and farm ( 52°50’24”N 1°30’13”E ). It dropped more bombs but causing only little damage like broken windows.
Later L46 was destroyed in the Ahlhorn explosion in Germany on 5 January 1918
users :
crew : 18
armament : 6 movable 7.92 [mm] (0.312 in) Parabellum MG 14 machine-guns
engine : 5 Maybach HS Lu liquid-cooled 6 -cylinder inline engine 240 [hp](179.0 KW)
dimensions :
Diameter : 23.9 [m], length : 196.5 [m], gas cells :18
volume: 55800.0 [m^3]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 63908 [kg]
empty weight operational : 26080 [kg] bombload : 2722.0 [kg]
tank capacity : 8527 [liter] (6250 [kg])
performance :
maximum speed : 110 [km/hr] op 2000 [m]
cruise speed : 85 [km/u] op 2000 [m]
climbing speed : 600 [m/min]
service ceiling : 5486 [m]
range: 7400 [km]
endurance : 87.1 [hour]
description :
engines & crew in gondolas below the Zeppelin
airscrew :
five fixed pitch 2 -bladed pusher airscrews with max. efficiency :0.64 [ ]
estimated diameter airscrew 2.50 [m]
angle of attack prop : 12.53 [ ]
fine pitch
reduction : 1.00 [ ]
airscrew revs : 1400 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 1.31 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 183 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
calculated volume : 54788 [m^3]
fineness ratio (lenght/diameter) : 8.22 [ ]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 10.7 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption (cruise speed) : 192.3 [kg/hr] (262.4 [litre/hr]) at 71 [%] power
fuel consumption (long range cruise speed) : 71.8 [kg/hr]
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 1.18 [km/kg]
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 1950.0 [kg] = 2.18 [kg/KW]
weight transmission & gear (engines in fuselage) : 357.9 [kg]
weight 1272 litre oil tank : 160.3 [kg]
oil tank filled with 6.7 litre oil : 6.0 [kg]
oil in engine 50 litre oil : 44.7 [kg]
fuel in engine 6 litre fuel : 4.5 [kg]
weight 112 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 10.9 [kg]
weight radiator : 134.2 [kg]
weight exhaust pipes & fuel lines 233.6 [kg]
weight self-starter : 21.9 [kg]
weight cowling 35.8 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 76.1 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 2876 [kg](4.5 [%])
***************************************************************
fuselage skeleton (aluminium gauge : 3.57 [cm]): 10792 [kg]
bracing : 561.2 [kg]
weight envelop covering (doped linen fabric 14754 [m2]) : 4721 [kg]
weight gas cell covering (doped linen fabric 11625 [m2]) : 3720 [kg]
weight gondolas : 816.1 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 62.1 [kg]
weight seats : 54.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 21.1 [kg]
weight transceiver : 27 [kg]
weight bomb storage : 190.5 [kg]
weight Görz bomb sight with 90 cm Zeiss-telescope: 2.5 [kg]
weight five1683 [litre] fuel tanks empty : 538.6 [kg]
weight oxygen/compressed air flasks for high altitude : 340.2 [kg]
weight interior + equipment + fuel lines: 847 [kg]
weight 6 fire extinguishers : 3 [kg]
weight engine mounts & firewalls : 45 [kg]
weight parachutes : 45 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 22802 [kg](35.7 [%])
***************************************************************
weight machine-gun(s) : 57.0 [kg]
weight pivot mounting mg :36.0 [kg]
weight armament : 93 [kg]
********************************************************************
weight navigation chards,flight doc.,miscell.items : 309.7 [kg]
empty weight : 26080 [kg](40.8 [%])
Front Gondola of L46, This Zeppelin was burned in her shed, along with L.47, L51, L58 and a Schutle Lonz, S L 20 on Jan 5, 1918. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
weight crew : 1458 [kg]
gross weight : 27538 [kg](43.1 [%])
weight cooling fluids : 184.3 [kg]
weight 6 drums empty : 13.6 [kg]
weight ammunition (3000 rounds) : 98.2 [kg]
weight signal pistol with cartridges : 3.6 [kg]
weight automatic pistols with spare magazines : 21.6 [kg]
*******************************************************************
calculated operational weight empty : 27846 [kg] (43.6 [%])
weight oil for 95.8 hours flying : 1121.8 [kg]
weight (electrical heated) clothing for high altitude : 108.0 [kg]
weight fuel for 87.1 hours flying : 6250 [kg]
********************************************************************
Operational weight long range reconnaissance mission : 35326 [kg](55.3 [%])
at max. cruise height of : 5450 [m]
bomb load : 2722 [kg]
operational weight long range bombing mission : 38048 [kg]
at max. cruise height of : 4800 [m]
weight hydrogen at s/l : 3962 [kg]
capacity : 38313 [kg] typical disposable load
calculated useful lift at s/l : 64393 [kg]
published useful lift : 63908 [kg] (100.0 [%])
calculation : * 4 * (loading)
power loading (long range bomb mission) : 42.52 [kg/kW]
power loading (operational weight empty) : 31.12 [kg/kW]
power/volume : 16 [W/M^3]
total power : 894.8 [kW] at 1400 [r.p.m]
limit load : 1.5 [g] ultimate load : 2.2 [g] load factor : 0.8 [g]
design flight time : 34.82 [hours]
design cycles : 79 sorties, design hours : 2750 [hours]
drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0023 [ ]
lifting force at s/l : 670334 [N]
lifting force at 5486 [m] : 382056 [N]
practical ceiling (operational weight) : 5486 [m] with flying weight :34997 [kg]
theoretical ceiling (skeleton crew, part hydrogen released at height) : 8100 [m] with flying weight :26857 [kg]
climb to 3000m (operational weight without bombload) : 5.00 [min]
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
published range : 7400 [km] (87.1 [hour] flying at 85 [km/h] cruise speed)
useful load over 1000 [km]: 2722 [kg]
production : 231.37 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 0.88 [kg]
Literature :
Daydream Notes: ACHTUNG ZEPPELIN IX:The Sky is a Big Place to get Lost in (horseformer.blogspot.com)
Incident Zeppelin LZ.94 L.46, 05 Jan 1918 (aviation-safety.net)
L46 | airwar19141918 (wordpress.com)
6/7 Jun 1915 (iancastlezeppelin.co.uk)
LZ 94 - L 46 (luftschiff-46.de)
https://luftschiff-46.de/Album/htm/zeigen_A-20.htm
DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be
regarded as indication not as facts.
Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights
and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken.
Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data
is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information
so we can improve our program. For copyright on drawings/photographs/
content please mail to below mail address
(c) B van der Zalm 10 May 2023 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.4