Zeppelin NT

The Zeppelin NT is a modern, helium-filled airship developed by Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH, a descendant company of the original Luftschiffsbau-Zeppelin. This new technology airship, first flown in 1997, is smaller than its historical predecessors, measuring 75 meters (250 feet) in length. It began offering short sightseeing trips over Lake Constance and other locations in 2001.1

Historically, Zeppelins were rigid airships designed by Ferdinand, Graf von Zeppelin, with the first flight occurring in 1900. These airships were used for bombing operations during World War I and for transatlantic passenger service, notably the Graf Zeppelin and the Hindenburg. The Hindenburg's fiery destruction in 1937, along with wartime destruction of manufacturing facilities, led to the cessation of large rigid airship construction until the development of the Zeppelin NT.1