Quote:
Originally Posted by DreadPirateRoberts
A non-hydrogen filled version, of course.
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Actually hydrogen had very little to do with the Hindenburg disaster. Had the ship been filled with helium it would still have met the same fate.
The history channel had a very interesting documentary on this. It turns out that the skin of the airship had been doped with a compound that included powdered aluminium. It was included because it gave the skin extra strength. Of course
powered aluminium is also used in the solid fuel boosters for the space shuttle. Once a static charge developed on the skin and created a spark between two incorrectly grounded segments, KaBoom! Up it went.