I caught most of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (which might be my favorite Indy movie…I know, the blasphemy!) on TV the other night and was surprised to see how much the movie zeppelin’s interior resembles the interior of the Hindenburg.

They did their homework, I guess. Also of note regarding the Hindenburg: the ship was originally designed to use helium but was retooled to use extremely flammable hydrogen when the US banned exports of then-rare helium to Germany.

Despite the danger of using flammable hydrogen, no alternative gases that could provide sufficient lift could be produced in adequate quantities. One beneficial side effect of employing hydrogen was that more passenger cabins could be added. The Germans’ long history of flying hydrogen-filled passenger airships without a single injury or fatality engendered a widely held belief they had mastered the safe use of hydrogen. The Hindenburg’s first season performance appeared to demonstrate this.

(thx, @katiealender & someone else whose name I misplaced)

• Hindenburg
• Indiana Jones
• movies

This footage from the British Pathe archive shows the Hindenburg flying peacefully around and then cuts to the mighty airship in flames as it hits the ground.

(via devour)

• Hindenburg
• video

The story of the Hindenburg disaster. Amazingly, 2/3 of the zeppelin’s passengers survived the crash. Here’s an audio recording of the famous Herbert Morrison radio broadcast (“oh, the humanity”) of the disaster.

• audio
• blimps
• disasters
• hindenburg
• history
• radio
• zeppelins