IDW 0021: Luxury Dirigible

[Flip]

http://davivsjapan.com/IDW.jpg

Topic: Luxury Dirigible

Background: Rejecting concerns that Germany would use helium for war zeppelins, the US sells helium to Germany allowing the LZ 129 Hindenburg to be filled with the inert gas, as designed, rather than highly flammable hydrogen. With no Hindenburg disaster, luxury dirigibles continue to be perceived as safe method of air travel and development continues on these luxury cruiser. Luftschiffbau Zeppelin continues to make the finest airships and is looking for a new design to show that they're still leaders in the manufacture of luxury dirigibles.


Brief:

1. Design a luxury dirigible.

2. It should be an exciting new design.

3. Setting is anytime Post-1937 (LZ 129 Hindenburg disaster).

Notes: Original zeppelins had a rigid frame as opposed to current blimps which use bags that can be folded up when not in flight.

Deadline: Saturday 4th November

[Gerbil Fetus]

cool idea!

[arttorney]

Post images Foo! (No. I don't just mean you Gerbil Fetus. It is a cool idea.)

[D-Holme]

Responding to a call for images.

Final
http://www.milecastle.com/IDW021-DHolme.jpg
NB: Thinking about the time after the Hindenberg the likelihood of any major airships construction was greatly effected by the onset of WWII. This design is set in an alternate history where the Third Reich was victorious, building an empire across Europe and into Asia. I hope that no-one is offended by the basis of this design.

The LZ135 Himmelburg
Built to celebrate the founding of the Greater Reich the LZ135 was ordered to serve as a luxury airship for tours of the Reich by Wehrmacht leadership and notables. It has been suggested the this vessel may also serve in a security role allowing important figures to visit states where insurgent activity make more conventional transport potentially hazardous.

LZ135 is essentially a redefinement of the military LZ133 & 134 Luft-Auge airships (although the new craft was some 30m longer). Indeed the new LZ135 matched its predecessors hull form very closely still incorporating the extended nose used for mounting the early warning radar systems in the Luft-Auge design.
These new airships differ greatly from pre-war Zeppelins in their structural arrangements. Rather than follow rigid construction through-out of the LZ127-131 airships these new designs had a strengthened supporting keel and an unsupported semi-rigid gas bag, this new approach produced a great saving in structural weight and allowed for a massively increased carrying load. This allowed the LZ133 & 134 to mount a great deal of electronic equipment where they served as airborne radar and command centres.

The LZ135 Himmelburg is a flying palace; incorporating a major state room, 20 lavish personal suites, 30 smaller guest cabins, a television/radio studio, broadcast systems and a specially designed aerial kitchen to provide full banqueting capabilities for those onboard. At the rear there is a hanger space for air-docking a specially modified Heinkel transport plane.

The LZ135 is powered by 10 engine nacelles each mounting 2 sets of 24 cylinder DB2000 engines – in reality two Daimler Benz DB1000 Inline Engines driving a single propeller shaft. The rear most nacelles only contain three engines instead using the remaining space to mount two alternators to provide electrical power for the extensive onboard electrical systems. Although the earlier overheating problems of the dual linked DB1000 engines have been mitigated these engines are still diesel driven to reduce the risk of fire. Many critics consider these engines still to be greatly overpowered but their use allows the LZ135 to reach an unprecedented top speed and altitude.

[Supialoctopod]

Wow, D-Holme that's so cool! I would love to see that in color.

I started one, but I just realized it looks a lot like a hot dog. :S

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p218/supialoctopod/hotdog.jpg

Update:


Final:
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p218/supialoctopod/dirigiblefinal.jpg

A few years after Luftschiffbau Zeppelin's success with the Hindenburg, the company decided to build a new variety of dirigibles.
Personal Luxury Dirigibles were popular among the wealthy in the early 1940's. Extravagant parties with the most prominent people of the time would be held 2000 meters in the sky. The cost to own and maintain one of these babies was around $5,000 - $10,000 (remember, 1940's).

[arttorney]

Do it anyway. You should check out Flip's Interstellar Transport.

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m214/arttorney/arttorneyluxurydirigible001.jpg

The twin impeller drive provided a quiet ride and they loved the forward observation gallery, but what everybody always raved about was the glass enclosed tennis court topside. The ship's doctor was an expert at sports medicine so sprained ankles were no problem, at least not for him.

[Ackaroth]

Tennis on a moving object would be a trip :p Like playing on a cruise ship only a little harder im sure, due to turbulance(sp?). I started a drawing of one, but I stopped. It would be my first work presented to the CA community and I think I want to get some more skills under my belt before working on these kind of activites.

[arttorney]

I thought about shuffleboard, but couldn't bring myself to say it. I also thought about hockey, frankly, but dismissed that as completely ridiculous for a luxury dirigible. I just thought up an edit for my description.

[Dragonspit]

D-Holm, this is so....you. lol. huuuuge as usual.

I was surprised at the limited entries. I had a sketch all week, but been super busy and doubt I will get to it. but if I can I will.

[Act.Appalled]

hopefully i can get something in by tonight, really want to do this one....

[placeholder]

[DELTA-CHARLIE]

hope you like it.

http://www.davidcarles.com/illustrations/IDW21.jpg

Experience one of our most innovative airships.
It's carry fewer guests than vessels of comparable size for spacious comfort.
Your cruise will prove unforgettable with Zeppelin Cruise Tour as your host.

[ViDA]

Done, thanks for the wait.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n7/vivivi_01/Zepp.jpg

Stella

Conceptually elegant design with backup engines and classy sailing vessel body lines, Stella is truely a blast from the past.
While not being the biggest of its family, Stella is famous for luxury and comfort that surrounded few lucky passengers.

[Sogbad]

Crap design, but had fun trying new 'looser' style :)



http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/sogbad/blimp.jpg

[PianoForte]

sogbad thats mean, really liking that more racy feel, not really sure i get a good sense of scale though, but other than that its cool and a nice render, you'll have to explain how you do the clouds, cause they are pretty perfect

[Flip]

Act.Appalled, ViDA > I'll wait for your final entries before posting the poll.
For anyone else, you have at least 24hrs and, if you let me know, I'll wait for your entry, that includes you PianoForte.

[smot]

Thanks for wait.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c42/smot_1975/conceptArt/luxury_dirigible_small_FINAL.jpg

[Act.Appalled]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v323/gearshiftx/act.jpg

[Sogbad]

PianoForte- One of my many issues ;) is my style is always too tight, a sad by product from my ID and airbrushing background,, so I thought I'd try to go loose, well that and I didn't have very long ;). For the sky I found a nice reference image for blue sky and bright puffy clouds. This week I'd visited Thierry Doizon's website where he kindly has some Photoshop brushes;

http://www.barontieri.com/atelier.htm

So using my reference image I made myself paint very quickly, constantly swapping out the brushes, not caring about any 'mistakes' and just kept working over the top on one layer. Another 15 years and i'll be there ;)

[Legato]

well, after days wasted due to rendering errors of all sort, what once was nothing but a simple idea put into 3d, has turned into a rendering trial by fire.

no frills guys, sorry for putting it in late. i just thought it would be cool to have a room in a gondola (sp) suspended in the air.

and at night, guests can retire to the upper quarters to star gaze...

or something like that >.>

as a side note, i don't really want to 3d model these too often, but i kinda got a bug for it atm!

http://incolor.inetnebr.com/legato/IDotW/IDotW%20021%20-%20Final%20Reduced.jpg