Our Zeppelin, Eureka, is a pretty big deal, literally! At 246-feet long, she stretches 15-feet longer than a standard Boeing 747 and 50-feet longer than the largest commercial blimps flying today. More impressive than her size is the experience of taking a flight!

What Makes Eureka A Zeppelin?

Eureka is an authentic Zeppelin, built by the Zeppelin company in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Currently, there are only two such aircraft flying in the world, ours and a sister ship in Friedrichshafen.

Specifically, Eureka is a Zeppelin NT. The NT stands for New Technology. This design improves upon Zeppelin technology that flew passengers millions of miles in the early 20th century and combines the highest operating safety standards with exceptional passenger comfort and visibility.

Envelope

The envelope is made of a state-of-the-art, multi-layer laminate material from ILC Dover, the same company that creates the fabric for the NASA space suits. It’s filled with non-flammable helium.

Rigid Structure

Unlike a blimp, a Zeppelin has a rigid structure inside of its envelope. Eureka’s ability to sail smoothly and steadily through the air is due to her rigid inner structure made of aluminum and carbon fiber. All the main components such as the cabin, engines and tail fins are mounted directly to this framework. This semi-rigid construction not only enables a smooth passenger experience, but also makes Eureka an ideal platform for scientific missions and television coverage. There is very little vibration, allowing sensitive test equipment and cameras to be mounted on board with great results.

Operational Characteristics

Eureka operates in many different locations across the US and under a variety of operational conditions. The Zeppelin’s ability to do this is due to an operational mobility unparalleled among airships. Unlike blimps, the Zeppelin can hover in place, spin 360-degrees on its axis and even land on a dime. No runway is required for Eureka, which takes off and lands vertically, like a helicopter. This means Eureka can land just about anywhere—so long as our 32-ton mobile mast truck can get there to secure her to the ground and there is a 600-foot wide mooring circle! Finding these conditions is the tricky part!

Engines

Two lateral and one rear engine steer and propel Eureka. The engines are mounted far above and away from the cabin, ensuring a low noise level for passengers. This position is also responsible for the high performance maneuvering capabilities. The three engines on the Zeppelin are made by Lycoming and combine to produce a maximum speed of 78 miles per hour, with typical cruising speed of 35 to 40 mph.

Unique in the aviation world, Eureka’s two lateral engines provide vectored thrust for even greater maneuverability during flight. Each engine can be rotated 120° and combined with variable pitch propellers, give the airship unmatched ability to stop, hover, land and climb vertically. At the stern of the ship, two propellers work off of one engine. One propeller provides lateral thrust, similar to a helicopter tail rotor. The other propeller can rotate 120° to provide added hover capabilities or when lifted, synchronize with the other two engines to provide forward thrust.

Fly-by-Wire Controls

Eureka’s pilots enjoy state-of-the-art aviation technology when in the cockpit. The Zeppelin’s vectored thrust engines are controlled by one of two sidesticks mounted on either side of the cockpit. This “fly-by-wire” technology provides precise control of the propulsion system and the flight controls on the tail fins.