useful strategy
useful strategy
DRA: 40
Science
Strategy:
Infer/Predict
Word Count: 1,494
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
Online Leveled Books
1033029
H O UG H T O N M IF F L IN
By Francisco Biederman
If you have received these materials as examination copies free of charge, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt School Publishers
retains title to the materials and they may not be resold. Resale of examination copies is strictly prohibited.
Possession of this publication in print format does not entitle users to convert this publication, or any portion of it, into
electronic format.
Table of Contents
Airship Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
History of Aviation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Types of Airships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
The Hindenburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Airships Today. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Look! What’s that in the sky? Is it a bird? A plane?
No. It’s a blimp — a lighter-than-air airship!
3
Airship Design
One reason that airships took to the sky before
airplanes is their simple design. They have four
main parts:
• the bag, or balloon
• the gondola (GAHN doh la)
• the engine
• the rudders
The most visible part of an airship is the bag.
The first bags were usually made of cotton coated
with rubber. This fabric was supple, but strong.
Exposure to sun and wind made this fabric frail,
however. It ripped or tore easily. So, later
bags were made of stronger, but still
flexible, fabrics.
Lifting Gases
Both helium and hydrogen are known as “lifting
gases.” At first, most airships used hydrogen because
it was cheaper. Unfortunately, hydrogen catches on
fire easily. Because airships had engines that could
spark, the risk of fire was great. Helium is a much
better choice since it is nonflammable.
5
Engines and Rudders
Unlike hot air balloons,
airships have engines.
They power the
propellers that help the
airship take off. Engines also
help the airship change positions.
To steer the airship, pilots Airplane engines
burn more fuel than
use rudders. Because airships airship engines.
can be steered, they are also
called dirigibles [DUR ih juh blz]. This name comes
from the French word meaning “to steer.” Rudders
also help keep airships safe. They prevent airships
from careening in the wind.
Compared to a plane, airships burn only a little
fuel. Early airships could not reach high speeds,
but they rarely needed to refuel — not even on long
journeys. In contrast, the first planes needed to
refuel often. In fact, airplanes are “heavier-than-air”
machines. To stay up in the air, planes must burn the
fuel they carry.
Knowing how to design the best airship did not
happen overnight. Many brave inventors risked their
lives over the years to test out their ideas.
6
History of Aviation
7
Types of Airships
There are three main kinds of airships. Each one
has slightly different features. The first type is called
the nonrigid airship. When its bag is not filled with
gas, it has no shape. Usually cables attach the gondolas
of nonrigid airships to the balloons.
Nonrigid
Semi-rigid
8
Some blimps belong to the second type of airships.
These are the semi-rigid airships. Their bags still lose
their shape without gas. But, these airships have a bar
across the bottom of the bag called a keel. The gondola
is attached to the keel, not to cables.
Rigid airships make up the third type. These
airships have a frame inside the bag. Originally this
frame was made of aluminum. These bags keep their
shape, even when not filled with gas.
Usually, the bag of a big airship has many
sections. Each section is made up of a separate balloon.
That way, if one section is damaged, the others stay
inflated. This design means that airships can be bigger
— and safer, too!
Rigid
Rigid airships are often called “zeppelins” [ZEP linz]. They are
named after Count Zeppelin, who invented the first one.
9
The Zeppelin Era
Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin was a German
airship designer. He spent years working out how to
steer airships. He also put a frame inside the bag. Even
if gas leaked out, the bag would stay taut.
Zeppelin tested his first rigid airship in 1900.
For 17 minutes, he flew over a lake in Germany.
Then the airship faltered. It fell into the water.
Eight years later, he was ready to try again.
This time his new and improved airship flew for
12 hours. It traveled at about 40 miles per hour.
This flight marked a turning point.
Zeppelin’s company began to build more airships.
Between 1910 and 1915, his airships flew over 1,500
trips. They carried more than 34,000 passengers all
over the world!
10
Zeppelin’s factory built dozens of airships for the
war effort. These airships could be seen undulating
across the sky in waves. Some even dropped bombs on
Germany’s enemies at the time. Fighter airplanes tried
to defend against the airships. But, they could not fly
as high as the airships.
After the war, interest in airships increased
greatly. Zeppelin’s company started to make larger
models that could carry more passengers. One of the
best known of these airships was the Graf Zeppelin.
This airship soared across the Atlantic Ocean. It even
flew around the world. Between 1928 and 1937, it flew
more than a million miles.
The Hindenburg
The Hindenburg was built to replace the Graf
Zeppelin. This huge airship was 800 feet long. It could
lift 112 tons, plus its own weight. Its passengers had
rooms with private showers. They could stroll along
a walkway while relishing the view.
11
The Hindenburg had a great first year in 1936.
It made ten trips between Germany and the United
States. Then disaster struck.
In 1937, upon landing in New Jersey, a spark lit the
hydrogen gas. The airship became engulfed in flames.
In a panic, the passengers jostled each other, trying
to escape the fire. Nearly 40 of the 97 people on board
died. After this tragedy, airship travel lost its appeal.
12
Airships Today
By 1950, airplanes had overtaken airships. The
need for airships no longer existed. In the next
decades, few were built.
Recently, people have started getting excited about
airships again. Some companies have started working
on new airship plans. Technology has helped improve
their designs. For example, frames can be built from
lightweight material that’s very strong. Computers can
be used to help with navigation.
Even today, airships are better than airplanes in
some ways. Airships do not use a lot of fuel. They also
do not give off as much pollution. They are able to lift
huge loads. These same loads would take airplanes
several trips to carry. Airships can also land in places
that other aircraft cannot.
Who knows what the future of airships holds?
Maybe one day you will travel on an airship. Picture
yourself flying over the Atlantic Ocean or soaring
above the Sahara Desert!
13
Index
A H
airplanes, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11, 13 Hindenburg, 11–12
airships hot air balloons, 4
design of, 4–5, 8–9
future of, 13 K
nonrigid, 8
rigid, 9 keel, 8–9
semi-rigid, 8–9
World War I and, 10–11 L
aviation, history of, 7 lifting gases
helium, 5
B hydrogen, 5, 12
14
Responding
TARGET VOCABULARY Word Builder Make
two word webs around the word frail. On one,
list items that might tear easily. On the other,
write words that are not frail.
tissue paper ?
Things that
are frail.
? ?
Write About It
Text to World What are some ways that airships
could be useful in today’s world? Write a
paragraph explaining your answer. Include two
words from the Word Builder.
15
TARGET VOCABULARY
careening jostled
engulf relishing
falter supple
frail taut
frayed undulating
16
Level: S
DRA: 40
Science
Strategy:
Infer/Predict
Word Count: 1,494
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
Online Leveled Books
1033029
H O UG H T O N M IF F L IN