On 13 Aug 2000, at 12:33, Donald L Burdette wrote:

> >>  Hydrogen was used because it was more easily available, not because
> it
> >>was better.
>
> >Indeed. The US was pissed at Germany, and we have all the Helium mines.
>
> Actually, the site where I found the data says that most of the world's
> helium comes from natural gas wells in the US and Poland.  So Germany
> would have had access to Helium, though perhaps they didn't know it then.
>
At risk of going off into the weeds.....
Recent research has revealed the Hindenberg's skin was
impregnated of some sort of Nitrate and a static discharge set if off,
the Hydrogen didnt catch until the whole thing was alight stem to
stern (note the airship was still floating and level when it was
burning, also hydrogen has a pretty much invisible flame).
BTW the Germans knew this around 1 week after the disaster, but
kept it quiet.


_____________________________

Lance Allen
Technical Officer
Uni of Auckland
Psych Dept
New Zealand

www.psych.auckland.ac.nz

_____________________________

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