The time of the big airships

Because of the ban imposed by the Allies, only airships with a gas volume of up to 30,000 m3 were allowed to be built in Germany after 1922. Such ships would have been too small for transatlantic flights. Because the USA demanded a newly-built Zeppelin from the Germans in 1922 as reparations, they cornmissioned Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH to construct LZ 126 with a gas volume of 70,000 m3As an exemption, the European Allies agreed to this construction, but in return demanded the demolition of the shipyard at Friedrichshafen as soon as LZ 126 was finished and delivered. To prove the suitability of the ship, a German crew was due to fly it across the Atlantic. This risky journey was completed successfully in October 1924. The well-planned media event once more aroused the enthusiasm for Zeppelins.