Zeppelin LZ 18
The Zeppelin LZ 18 – Navy designation L 2 was a German military rigid airship. It was the second Zeppelin airship to be bought by the Imperial German Navy. It was first flown on 9 September 1913. On 17 October 1913 during a test flight it was destroyed by an explosion caused by escaped hydrogen being sucked into an engine compartment with the loss of all aboard. Six weeks before this disaster was the accidents of Navy’s L 1 and this two disasters deprived Navy to the suspension of the planned expansion program.
| Name | Zeppelin LZ 18 |
| Other Name(s) | L 2, L2 Zeppelin |
| Construction Number | LZ 18 |
| Class | I |
| Tactical Numbering | L 2 |
| Role | Military |
| National Origin | Germany |
| Manufacturer | Luftschiffbau Zeppelin |
| Decade | 1910s |
| First Flight | 9 September 1913 |
| Number Built | 1 |
| Primary User/Under Direction of | Imperial German Navy |
| Status | Destroyed by explosion on 17 October 1913 |
| Crew | 15 |
| Lenght | 157.94 m (518 ft 2 in) |
| Diameter | 16.61 m (54 ft 6 in) |
| Volume | 27,000 m3 (953,000 cu ft) |
| Empty Weight | 20,185 kg (44,500 lb) |
| Useful Lift | 11,100 kg (24,500 lb) |
| Powerplant | 4 × Maybach C-X six cylinder inline water-cooled piston engine., 123 kW (165 hp) each |
| Maximum Speed | 76 km/h; 41 kn (47 mph) |