Gross-Basenach

Gross-Basenach airship types were designed and manufactured by Oberingenieur  (Senior Engineer) Basenach and former Hauptmann (Captain) Sperling. It took on the name of the technical lead, Major Gross, however, and was known as the Gross-Basenach. When procured by the German Government, it was model M-III, a non-rigid craft, termed the “Militär III”.

Like the Parseval, this design maintained its shape through the gases stored in the large balloon above the gondola.  At launch, enough hydrogen was pumped into this single large balloon to achieve both the required lift, and the required shape.  In the bow and the tail were two separate internal balloons, inflated only by air, as needed to maintain an aerodynamic shape.

Later, for combat use, Gross-Basenach developed a semi-rigid ship with a rigid keel below the hydrogen cell.  This semi-rigid ship was delivered to the German Army for operational missions. Like the Zeppelin and the Shûtte-Lanz the payload of the ship, crew, fuel, water, etc., was carried by this keel.