Zeppelin L.13

[lenny100]

OK I know its not going to be a "what if" but this will be a monster build and possibly the largest model ever scratched built on here or most other sites.

bit of background first on why i am building this monster

At about 10pm on the evening of 1 April 1916 German Imperial Navy Zeppelin L11 under the command of Korvettenkapitan Viktor Schutze, who joined the Zeppelin fleet only as recently as 5 March 1916, flying at a height of about 2,200 metres, crossed the coast to attack Tyneside.
It had left its base at Nordholz German Naval Air base,( which is located near the town of Nordholz in Lower Saxony, 25 km north of Bremerhaven, is still in use and is the home of Naval Air Command (Marinefliegerkommando), with the Naval Air Wing 3 (Marinefliegergeschwader 3) and Naval Air Wing 5 (Marinefliegergeschwader 5), equipped with the P-3C Orion, Dornier Do 228NG, Mk88A Sea Lynx and Mk41 Sea King, along with L14), at mid-day with orders to attack southern or central England but the wind was such thatthe  L11 found itself approaching the River Tyne in the dark.

Following a Zeppelin raid on Tyneside by L10 on 16 June 1915 the defences around the River Tyne had been strengthened and at its relatively low height and experiencing difficulties gaining height in the weather conditions, Schutze decided to manoeuvre round and attack the less well protected port of Sunderland.

At about 11pm Millfield and Deptford were first to be on the receiving end of L11's deadly payload before it crossed the River Wear and turned its attentions on Monkwearmouth. This is when the Goods Yard was hit and the roof over the railway lines at the Station damaged. Bombs also damaged Thomas Street School, Victor Street and Whitburn Street where St Benet's Church was damaged.
There had been warning of the impending attack and the trams had been evacuated as was the practice.
In North Bridge Street Tram No. 10 had been pulled up and was hit along with a house. The conductress, Sally Ann Holmes, was injured and an Inspector was killed.
In all 22 people were killed that night with others amongst the 25 seriously injured dying over the following days. Over 100 people received less serious injuries.
The local newspaper, the Sunderland Echo, in its report on an air raid on a 'north east town' played down the damage and affect on the people saying three small fires were started and quickly dealt with and the people remained calm.
Other reports would suggest this was not the case. Shutze himself reported:

'I decided not to cross the batteries on account of not being very high in relation to the firing, and also because of slow progress against the wind and the absolutely clear atmosphere up above.
I fixed, therefore, on the town of Sunderland, with its extensive docks and the blast furnaces north-west of the town.
Keeping on the weather side, the airships dropped explosive bombs on some works where one blast-furnace was blown up with a terrible detonation, sending out flames and smoke.
The factories and dock buildings of Sunderland, now brightly illuminated, were then bombed with good results.
The effect was grand; blocks of houses and rows of streets collapsed entirely; large fires broke out in places and a dense black cloud, from which bright sparks flew high, was caused by one bomb.
A second explosive bomb was at once dropped at the same spot; judging from the situation, it may have been a railway station.'

Coming under fire from a gun at Fulwell the Zeppelin turned to the south east and after dropping bombs on the docks flew down to Middlesbrough where it caused more destruction before returning to base at Nordholz at 10am on 2nd ApriL

As you may be aware i now run the NESLAM  scale model club and they are making up a display on the attack and the defenses it brought into the area including the opening of RAF Usworth which became Sunderland airport once the RAF pulled out in 1958 and was closed in 1982 shortly after we took delivery of our star exhibit and what was the first Vulcan on private display in the UK and Nissan UK was built on the site. The is on one small corner of the station that survives is were the NESLAM museum now lives.

Our website can be found here

http://www.nelsam.org.uk/default.htm

now on with the build

[PR19_Kit]

The vital question is :- What SCALE are you doing it in?

[lenny100]

how about 1/72
yes the main balloon will be around 8 1/2 feet

[PR19_Kit]

I figured it might be something like that.

The 1/72 model of my fave airship, the R100, that used to be in the Elvington Museum nr. York was 10 ft. long

[Steel Penguin]

Lenny.   sir I doff my hat in admiration, Its a astounding project to undertake, ( I admit I did look the size up before you mentioned the scale and thought, " maybe 1:144") , but to go 1:72 is a truly heroic decision.
I look forward to news and pics, as its something that engineering wise, im certain ill learn from. 

[zenrat]

Woo hoo!
Can't wait to see you get going.

Will you be building a frame for the gasbag and then stretching material over it?

[NARSES2]

turned its attentions on Monkwearmouth. This is when the Goods Yard was hit and the roof over the railway lines at the Station damaged. 

Don't think they ever repaired that damage ?

Anyway this is a tremendous project mate, best of luck with it. Probably make local T.V. 

[Old Wombat]

It's going to need to be a working model, with helium-filled gas bags to stop it falling through the floor!

[Rheged]

It's going to need to be a working model, with helium-filled gas bags to stop it falling through the floor!

Get the gasbag size wrong, and you'll never get it down from the ceiling

[Modelling_Mushi]

Lenny old mate, you are nuts - in the best of all possible ways 

Keeping an eye on this thread for sure.

How long do you - really - think this will take?