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weight and performance calculations for the Zeppelin LZ126 ZR-3 USS Los Angeles
Zeppelin LZ126 ZR-3 USS Los Angeles
role : passenger carrying airship
importance : ****
first flight : 27 August 1924 operational : October 1924
country : Germany
commander : Lieutenant Commander Maurice R. Pierce
main operating base : Lakehurst, New Jersey
type : rigid airship class : Y
lifting gas : Helium
production : 1 prototype
general information :
Ordered by the United States; transferred from Friedrichshafen to Lakehurst in 81 hours and 2 minutes, arriving on 15 October 1924, 9:52. Most successful US rigid airship in US Navy service.
ZR-3 starts for its journey to the US
After the arriving in the US, the hydrogen gas was replaced by the safer helium gas, at the expense of some performance. Ceiling with helium is about 1000m lower then with Hydrogen. Approx normal cruise height with helium is 2500 [m], with hydrogen it is around 3600 [m] making it possible to cross mountain ranges with more ease.
Range was also reduced, published range 10690 [km] for this distance at cruise speed 23.000 kg fuel is needed, with helium as lifting gas the airship could hardly lift up. With hydrogen still a comfortable cruise of 1000 [m] could be maintained with 23000 kg fuel. With helium range estimation is around 8000 [km] with approx. 18600 [kg] fuel.
The airship was fitted with equipment to recover water from the exhaust gases for use as ballast to compensate for the loss of weight as fuel was consumed, so avoiding the necessity to vent scarce helium to maintain neutral buoyancy.
The airship went on to log a total of 4,398 hours of flight, covering a distance of 172,400 nautical miles (319,300 km; 198,400 mi). Long-distance flights included return flights to Panama , Costa Rica and Bermuda . It served as an observatory and experimental platform, as well as a training ship for other airships.
The USS Losa Angeles was dismantled in August 1940.
LZ-126 arriving at Lakehurst, 15 October 1924
users : US Navy
crew : 10 passengers : 33
armament : none
engine : 5 Maybach VL-1 liquid-cooled 6 -cylinder inline engine 420 [hp] (313.2 KW)
dimensions :
Diameter : 27.64 [m], length : 200.0 [m], gas cells :13
volume: 73599.0 [m^3]
weights :
calculated max.total weight at S/L : 77007 [kg]
lifting capacity : 30378.0 [kg]
empty weight operational (estimation): 46629 [kg] useful load : 3300.0 [kg]
estimated tank capacity : 25425 [liter] (18637 [kg])
performance :
maximum speed :127 [km/hr] op 2100 [m]
cruise speed :93 [km/u] op 2100 [m]
service ceiling : 2400 [m]
range: 8000 [km]
endurance : 86.0 [hour] at cruise speed
On 25 August 1927, while Los Angeles was tethered at the Lakehurst high mast , a gust of wind caught her tail and lifted it into colder, denser air that was just above the airship. This caused the tail to lift higher. The crew on board tried to compensate by climbing up the keel toward the rising tail, but could not stop the ship from reaching an angle of 85 degrees, before it descended. The ship suffered only slight damage and was able to fly the next day.
airscrew :
four fixed pitch 2 -bladed pusher airscrews with max. efficiency :0.69 [ ]
estimated diameter airscrew 3.20 [m]
angle of attack prop : 11.34 [ ]
fine pitch
reduction : 1.00 [ ]
airscrew revs : 1400 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 1.51 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 235 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
calculated volume : 74583 [m^3]
fineness ratio (length/diameter) : 7.24 [ ]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 18.8 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption (cruise speed) : 283.5 [kg/hr] (386.8 [litre/hr]) at 70 [%] power
The Goodyear Airdock is a construction and storage airship hangar in Akron, Ohio . At its completion in 1929, it was the largest building in the world without interior supports. (location 41°01’55”N 81°28’14”W
fuel consumption (long range cruise speed) : 216.7 [kg/hr]
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 0.43 [km/kg]
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 3000.0 [kg] = 1.92 [kg/KW]
weight transmission & gear (engines in fuselage) : 626.4 [kg]
weight 2200 litre oil tank : 277.2 [kg]
oil tank filled with 11.7 litre oil : 10.5 [kg]
oil in engine 87 litre oil : 78.3 [kg]
fuel in engine 11 litre fuel : 7.8 [kg]
weight 164 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 16.1 [kg]
weight radiator : 234.9 [kg]
weight exhaust pipes & fuel lines 405.5 [kg]
weight self-starter : 38.4 [kg]
weight cowling 62.6 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 169.0 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 4650 [kg](6.0 [%])
***************************************************************
fuselage skeleton (aluminium gauge : 5.47 [cm]): 25862 [kg]
bracing : 571.2 [kg]
weight envelop covering (doped linen fabric 17367 [m2]) : 5557 [kg]
weight gas cell covering (doped linen fabric 15333 [m2]) : 4907 [kg]
weight gondolas : 1432.3 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 63.5 [kg]
weight seats crew : 50.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 21.1 [kg]
USS Los Angeles landed on board USS Saratoga in 1928.
weight transceiver : 27 [kg]
wireless aerial : 30 [kg]
weight passenger seats : 165.0 [kg]
weight cabin furnishing : 275.0 [kg]
weight five 5052 [litre] fuel tanks empty : 1616.7 [kg]
weight interior + equipment + fuel lines: 992 [kg]
weight 6 fire extinguishers : 3 [kg]
weight engine mounts & firewalls : 78 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 41666 [kg](54.1 [%])
***************************************************************
weight armament : 0 [kg]
********************************************************************
weight miscell.items to high > increase weight/flight hours line 1220
weight navigation chards,flight doc.,miscell.items : 312.6 [kg]
empty weight : 46629 [kg](60.6 [%])
weight crew : 810 [kg]
gross weight : 47439 [kg](61.6 [%])
weight cooling fluids : 322.6 [kg]
weight signal pistol with cartridges : 3.6 [kg]
*******************************************************************
calculated operational weight empty : 47765 [kg] (62.0 [%])
weight oil for 8 hours flying : 80.6 [kg]
weight fuel for 8 hours flying : 1733 [kg]
******************************************************************** 
Flying over Manhatten, New York, 1930.
Operational weight 8 hour training mission : 49579 [kg](64.4 [%])
at max. cruise height of : 3650 [m]
Operational weight long range reconnaissance mission : 68341 [kg](88.7 [%])
at max. cruise height of : 1050 [m]
useful load : 3300 [kg]
operational weight long range passenger flight : 71641 [kg]
at max. cruise height of : 650 [m]
weight lifting gas at s/l : 13152 [kg]
lifting capacity : 30378 [kg] typical disposable load
calculated useful lift at s/l : 77007 [kg]
published useful lift : 77007 [kg] (100.0 [%])
USS Los Angeles in its hangar at Lakehurst (location : 40°01’43”N 74°18’59”W ) with airship RS-1 outside
calculation : * 4 * (loading)
power loading (long range bomb mission) : 45.75 [kg/kW]
power loading (operational weight empty) : 30.50 [kg/kW]
power/volume : 21 [W/M^3]
total power : 1566.0 [kW] at 1400 [r.p.m]
limit load : 1.5 [g] ultimate load : 2.2 [g] load factor : 1.2 [g]
design flight time : 34.41 [hours]
design cycles : 182 sorties, design hours : 6250 [hours]
drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0022 [ ]
lifting force at s/l : 755177 [N]
lifting force at 2400 [m] : 697690 [N]
practical ceiling (operational weight) : 2400 [m] with flying weight :57992 [kg]
theoretical ceiling (skeleton crew, part hydrogen released at height) : 4450 [m] with flying weight :47105 [kg]
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
published range : 8000 [km] (86.0 [hour] flying at 93 [km/h] cruise speed)
useful load over 1000 [km]: 3300 [kg]
production : 306.90 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 0.99 [kg]
Literature :
Rigid Airships Photo Index: USS LOS ANGELES (ZR-3) (navsource.org)
USS Los Angeles (ZR-3) - Wikipedia
USS Los Angeles ZR-3 | Airships.net
confidence rating : 6.5
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/
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(c) B van der Zalm 13 May 2023 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.4