This is a small, Cliffhanger-style zeppelin for multi-purpose work. To make it remotely viable, it is assumed that helium is more widely available. Although designed with Germany in mind, it could easily be used by other nations with slight changes. Aside from the helium, it is also assumed that monoplane fighters are rare, if not actually nonexistant.
The zeppelin is fairly well-armed against fighter plane attacks,
with
a quad-MG powered turret (taking only 2 seconds to completely rotate)
atop
the body and single 20mm autocannons at each end of the body. Two light
MGs are on each side of the body, rounding out the armament.
Crew consists of: captain/pilot, co-pilot, navigator, 2 radio operators, mechanic, 5 gunners and 9 riggers. The zeppelin uses 54 gallons of diesel fuel per hour at routine usage. Range is 1,500 miles at 44 mph.
Subassemblies: Small Zeppelin chassis +11, three Large Weapon
engine pods +2, Large Weapon full-rotation turret +2, Medium AFV
observation
gondola +2.
Powertrain: 3¥400-kW aerial HP diesel engine w/400-kW prop
and 2,100-gallon light fuel tank [Body], 3¥2,000-kWs batteries
[Pods],
16,000-kWs battery [Body].
Occupancy: 10 CS [Body], 3 CS [Gondola] Cargo: 50.
| Armor | F | RL | B | T | U |
| Body | 2/2 | 2/2 | 2/2 | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| Gondola/Pods | 2/3 | 2/3 | 2/3 | 2/3 | 2/3 |
| Gondola crew | 0/+20 | 0/+20 | 0/+20 | 0/0 | 0/+20 |
| Turret gunner | 0/+20 | 0/0 | 0/+20 | 0/0 | 0/+20 |
| Bow gunner | 0/+40 | 0/+10 | 0/0 | 0/+10 | 0/0 |
| Stern gunner | 0/0 | 0/+10 | 0/+40 | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Side gunner | 0/0 | 0/+40* | 0/0 | 0/+10 | 0/+10 |
Weaponry
4¥Aircraft LMG [Turret:F] (2,000 each)*
20mm Long Aircraft AC [Body:F] (900 each)
20mm Long Aircraft AC [Body:B] (900 each)
2¥Aircraft LMG [Body:R] (1,000 each)**
2¥Aircraft LMG [Body:L] (1,000 each)**
4¥550-lb bombs [Body:U]
* Links fire in opposing pairs or all four ** Link fires as pair
Equipment
Body: 651 gallon ballast tanks, 15 hammocks, 5 bunks, 300 m/d
provisions,
large radio receiver and transmitter, medium radio receiver and
transmitter,
precision navigation instruments, autopilot, 2 searchlights,
environmental
controls, bomb bay (2,200-lbs). Gondola: Medium radio receiver
and
transmitter, searchlight, navigation instruments.
Statistics
| Size: 470'x60'x60' | Payload: 16.7 tons | Lwt: 54.6 tons |
| Volume: N/A | Maint.: 9 hours | Price: $544,700 |
HT: 12.
HPs: 15,000 Body, 120 each Engine Pod, 120 Turret, 200 Gondola.
| aSpeed: 73 |
aAccel: 1 | aDecel: 0.5 | aMR: 0.125 | aSR: 4 | Stall: 0 |
Design Notes
Five armored crewstations were bought for the gondola crew and split
for three positions.