Chapter 132: The Aviation Plan
On October 7, 1902, Arthur had just attended the matriculation ceremony for the third class of freshmen at the Australian National University. Immediately afterward, he received two guests at his estate who had traveled all the way from Germany—Theodor Kober and Ludwig Dürr.
These two individuals did not hold prominent reputations in history, nor were they particularly famous at the time.
However, they had contributed to the design of the first Zeppelin airship, which had already achieved notable success and even won the 1901 Victoria Science Award.
Speaking of the Zeppelin, one name must be mentioned—its true creator, Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin.
Count Zeppelin, a former lieutenant general in the Imperial German Army, gained true fame for his invention of the Zeppelin airship.
Historically, Zeppelin was a pioneer in German aviation and the inventor of the large, rigid airship.
Before the airplane had been invented, airships were the only way humans could take to the skies.
The Zeppelin that received the Victoria Science Award had been developed jointly by Zeppelin, Theodor Kober, and Ludwig Dürr.
Their first collaborative model, the LZ-1, was approximately 128 meters long, 11.7 meters in diameter, and had a hydrogen capacity of about 11,300 cubic meters.
The airship featured two external gondolas, each fitted with a 16-horsepower engine.
In its maiden test flight two years prior, the airship delivered an impressive performance—not only capable of carrying at least six tons of cargo, but also able to travel tens of kilometers at speeds exceeding 35 kilometers per hour.
Of course, what earned Zeppelin the Victoria Science Award wasn't just this success. As the only viable method for humans to take to the skies before the invention of airplanes, airships still held substantial potential for development for at least two to three decades.
This period would mark the golden age of airship development—until the infamous Hindenburg disaster occurred.
Arthur was well aware of the limitations and flaws of airships and thus never intended to make them the core of Australia's aviation strategy.
However, their value during this transitional period couldn't be denied. Letting the world focus its attention on airships while Australia quietly developed airplanes seemed like a sound strategy.
At the very least, before any major air disasters occurred, people remained curious and fascinated by these giant flying machines.
Naturally, Zeppelin himself—being a retired German Army general and a noble—would never agree to serve as a researcher in Australia.
But his two top assistants, Theodor Kober and Ludwig Dürr, both contributors to the first Zeppelin airship, were more than happy to come.
The offer to establish an independent research laboratory in Australia, along with an annual research grant of over £10,000, was more than enough to tempt them.
Although Arthur hadn't succeeded in recruiting Zeppelin himself, Theodor Kober and Ludwig Dürr were outstanding figures in the German aviation community. Even before their work on the Zeppelin, they had made notable contributions to the field.
At the estate, Arthur officially welcomed Theodor Kober and Ludwig Dürr.
Although Count Zeppelin had received the Victoria Science Award nearly a year earlier, the Royal European Affairs Director, David Martins Simons, had extended an invitation to the two men long ago.
But with time needed to consider the offer and wrap up their current projects, it had taken them more than half a year to finally arrive in Australia—just as a new round of the Victoria Awards was about to be presented.
"Dr. Theodor Kober, Dr. Ludwig Dürr, welcome to Australia!" Arthur greeted them with a smile.
"Thank you, Your Highness. It is our honor to work here in Australia," they both replied.
"I've reviewed the data on the LZ-1 airship that you helped design. You've certainly made impressive progress in the field of rigid airships. Although Mr. Zeppelin could not join us, I firmly believe that with the expertise of you two, we can replicate—and even improve upon—the design of more advanced and larger airships," Arthur stated directly, getting to the point.
"That shouldn't be a problem, Your Highness. Recreating an LZ-1 airship wouldn't be difficult. But if we want to enhance its performance, it will take significantly more time," Theodor Kober explained with some concern. "Though we've already begun improving and redesigning the airship with Count Zeppelin, progress has been slow. Issues remain with engine models and airship design that still need solving."
"Time is not an issue, nor is funding. I'll provide all the research support you need. Improving the airship is one of your top priorities now. Of course, I'll also be inviting more experts from Europe to help you complete this ambitious design," Arthur replied with a smile.
Even in history, the famous Zeppelin airships took over a decade of development before they were commercially viable in the second decade of the 20th century.
"One of the top priorities? Your Highness, do you have other plans?" Ludwig Dürr asked with keen insight, sensing something in Arthur's words.
Although they were top talents in aviation, the only significant progress in the field so far had been with airships.
Ever since the invention of balloons, the desire to control and propel them gave rise to airships. Now, over a hundred years had passed since the first manned balloon flight, and airship technology had come a long way.
From the earliest human-powered models to modern soft and rigid airships, these flying machines could now carry passengers and cargo across substantial distances in the air.
Speeds had increased from a snail's pace to 9.4 km/h, and now over 25 km/h.
The LZ-1 rigid airship could already match the speed of current naval warships, and unlike ships, airships didn't need to navigate around terrain. They could follow straight-line routes through the sky.
As long as issues with range and safety were resolved—particularly extending flight distance to 300 or even 500 kilometers—airships could become genuinely practical.
Of course, achieving a feat like the historic "Graf Zeppelin" circumnavigation of the globe was still beyond current technological capabilities.
But for short-range cargo transport and establishing aerial supply routes, such goals were attainable in the near term.
(End of Chapter)
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