LZ 2

"LZII" redirects here. For the 1969 British rock album, see Led Zeppelin II. For the SpaceX landing pad, see Landing Zone 2.

For other uses, see LZ2.

The LZ 2 was a German experimental airship constructed by Luftschiffbau Zeppelin and first flown in 1906. It was the true ancestor of later Zeppelin airship designs. The major mistakes made by Kübler in the design of the LZ 1 were not repeated: the designer, Ludwig Dürr, who was to head the design of all subsequent Zeppelins, used triangular-section girders instead of Kübler's flat girders, and elevators instead of a lead weight to control pitch.^[1][2] The life of the LZ 2 was brief, consisting of only two flights. Its near-sister ship, the LZ 3—which first flew on 9 October 1906—was purchased by the German Army and operated as the Z I until 1913.^[3] Before being purchased by the Army, LZ 3 made many flights and carried a number of prestigious passengers, including the German Crown Prince.^[4]

LZ 2
General information
Type	Experimental airship
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Luftschiffbau Zeppelin
Designer	Ludwig Dürr
Number built	1
History
First flight	17 January 1906

Specifications

Data from Robinson 1973 pp.29-30

General characteristics

• Length: 126.19 m (414 ft 0 in)
• Diameter: 11.75 m (38 ft 6 in)
• Volume: 10,370 m³ (366,200 cu ft)
• Powerplant: 2 × Daimler piston engines , 63 kW (84 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 40 km/h (25 mph, 22 kn)
• Range: 1,100 km (680 mi, 590 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 850 m (2,800 ft)