The biggest and the fastest airships in history and today

Airships have traditionally exceeded airplanes in size, inspiring awe among observers. They were more than just a means of transport. Airships embodied an era of faith in technological progress. In the first decades of the 20th century, they connected continents and enabled transatlantic voyages.

Their development was anything but smooth. Yet progress does not stand still. Today, thanks to innovative materials and technologies, airships are experiencing a renaissance. They now offer the world an environmentally friendly alternative for cargo transport and distinctive opportunities for tourism. Airships are once again ready to claim their place in aviation history.

• LZ 129 Hindenburg. The size record holder: length 245 m, payload 100 tonnes, volume over 200,000 cubic meters. It was an airborne liner with an unprecedented level of amenities: comfortable cabins equipped with showers, a restaurant with large windows, and even a special safe smoking room. It carried 72 passengers plus 55 crew. The largest airship in world history!

• USS Akron and USS Macon. The runners-up in size were the American airborne aircraft carriers: 240 and 239.3 m in length, with a diameter over 40 m. In the 1930s these airships were intended for long-range maritime reconnaissance and coastal defense. They carried a complement of fighter aircraft. The largest airships of the interwar period.

• LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin (LZ 127). Third place by overall dimensions: length 236 m, gas cell volume over 105,000 cubic meters. This airship set a record for distance and speed of flight: 34,000 km in 20 days.

In fact, the largest airship was meant to be the flying palace R101, the biggest model of the 20th century. The problem was that this British giant failed to take off as intended. In 1929, as built, R101 was the largest rigid airship. But in October 1930, on its very first commercial flight, it crashed in France; the investigation revealed design errors. The British government subsequently halted funding for the airship industry.

Another record belongs, of course, to L 59 (LZ 104), the long‑lived airship. This huge craft, commissioned in 1917, was initially planned for attacks on London, but its story turned out to be far more captivating.

The missions assigned to L 59 were not limited to bombing. The airship was also used for reconnaissance operations and transporting materials. It did not achieve outstanding feats at the front, but it became famous for its trans‑African flight in November 1917. The goal was to resupply German forces in German East Africa. Although the mission was aborted due to erroneous reports of a surrender, the flight set a distance record for airships of the time. L 59 continued operating until the end of the war, becoming one of the most long‑lived airships — a rarity.

Historically, the record holder is LZ 129 Hindenburg, which reached a maximum speed of about 135 km/h. That is an impressive figure for a lighter‑than‑air craft. However, compared to modern airplanes, the speed gap is obvious.

Why don’t airships compete with airplanes on speed? The reasons lie in their design and principles of flight. Unlike airplanes, airships rise due to buoyant lift (Archimedes’ principle), which pushes them upward. This saves fuel but limits maneuverability and top speed. Airplanes rely on lift generated by wings and powerful engines, allowing them to achieve far higher speeds.

Head‑to‑head speed competition between airships and airplanes is neither possible nor sensible. Airships win on payload capacity and range, so the choice of aircraft depends on the mission. Where speed is not the priority, an airship is the most cost‑effective solution.

Among the many airships built, German Zeppelins hold a special place. They were distinguished by their enormous size, advanced technologies and luxurious conditions for passengers. Zeppelins plied routes between Europe and America, offering comfortable crossings in a matter of days. Graf Zeppelin and Graf Zeppelin II (LZ 130) are the legendary airships that flew a record number of successful commercial missions and became symbols of German engineering.

The most infamous, without question, was Hindenburg (LZ 129). It even gave its name to the phenomenon describing a crisis of hydrogen‑based energy — the Hindenburg syndrome. This giant airship, filled with hydrogen, represented the pinnacle of airship development. Its luxurious cabins, spacious promenades and even a smoking lounge created the atmosphere of a floating hotel and entered the annals of history. The tragic 1937 disaster, when Hindenburg caught fire while landing in Lakehurst, New Jersey, ended the era of passenger airships but made its name immortal.

The British airship R101 also vied for the title of the era’s flagship craft. But the technologies of the time could not yet bring the dream of flying palaces to life.

The American USS Akron did not fulfill the dream of airborne aircraft carriers — for the same reason: the technologies we have today did not exist then.

Thus, the 21st century is a time for new records and new legendary airships.

The airship of the future, of course! The future belongs to New Generation Airships'.

New technologies are opening the way to larger sizes and higher performance. Advanced composites, lightweight propulsion systems and intelligent control systems make it possible to build airships that significantly outperform earlier models. Improved aerodynamic shapes reduce drag, and solar panels can provide supplementary power.

New Generation Airships' are poised to play an important role in tackling global challenges, above all in logistics, especially in hard‑to‑reach regions. Modern airships are being prepared for atmospheric research and environmental monitoring. They have the potential to become a more economical and cleaner alternative to conventional transport, moving oversized cargo over long distances.

The investment outlook and opportunities for new projects in this field are significant. Designing and building giant airships requires substantial capital, but the potential return — lower transportation costs, optimized logistics and advances in scientific knowledge — justifies the investment. This is a promising area for innovative companies and investors focused on sustainable development.

Large‑scale airships continue to amaze. For nearly a century they have remained a symbol of innovation. The Russian project New Generation Airships' builds on this legacy. We aim to rethink the very concept of the airship, using the latest materials and technologies to create safe, environmentally friendly and efficient aircraft. We see their applications in cargo transport, scientific research and tourism, bringing new possibilities for exploration and discovery to our country and the world.

We invite everyone to join this journey, which is only just beginning. Your support — participation in development, investment, or simply sharing information — will help us achieve our ambitious goals. Together, we can write a new chapter in the history of airship building.