Zeppelin LZ127

Mark I Models, 1/720 scale

Reviewed by Brett Green

Kitty Hawk's 1/32 scale OS2U Kingfisher will be available online from Squadron.com
 

LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin (Deutsches Luftschiff Zeppelin #127; Registration: D-LZ 127) was a German built and operated, passenger-carrying, hydrogen-filled, rigid airship that operated commercially from 1928 to 1937.

When it entered commercial service in 1928, it became the first commercial passenger transatlantic flight service in the world.

It was named after the German pioneer of airships, Ferdinand von Zeppelin, who was a count (Graf) in the German nobility.

During its operating life, the airship made 590 flights covering more than 1.7 million kilometers (over 1 million miles).

It was designed to be operated by a crew of 36 officers and men.

The LZ 127 was the longest rigid airship at the time of its completion and was only surpassed by the USS Akron in 1931. It was scrapped for fighter plane parts in 1940.

Specifications

• Crew: 40

• Capacity: 20 passengers

• Length: 236.53 m (776 ft 0 in)

• Diameter: 30.48 m (100 ft 0 in)

• Volume: 105,000 m3 (3,707,550 ft3)

• Useful lift: 60,000 kg (132,000 lb)

• Powerplant: 5 × Maybach engines, 410 kW (550 hp) each

• Maximum speed: 128 km/h (80 mph)

* Historical summary and specifications courtesy of Wikipedia

Mark I Models has recently launched a series of 1:720 scale Zeppelin kits. The newest of these is the famous LZ127 - Graf Zeppelin.

1/720 might sound like a small scale but the length of the model is a very respectable 33 cm (nearly 13"), filling the box.

The kit comprises 46 parts in grey injection moulded plastic. Markings are supplied for four points of time over its operating career.

The plastic parts might best be described as high quality limited run. It is very good indeed. Sprue attachment points are numerous but quite fine. There is a bit of fine flash on the smaller pieces but I could not find any other imperfections on my mouldings.

Fabric texture on the main zeppelin body and the flying surfaces is excellent.

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The engine mounts and prepellers are tiny in this scale and might have been better as photo-etched parts. The plastic mounts and props will be very delicate, so take care when removing them from the sprue and cleaning them up.

Windows are supplied as blue decals, which makes perfect sense in this small scale.

A decal is also included for the plastic display plinth.

Markings

Markings are supplied for four points in Graf Zeppelin's career:

• First Flights 1928-29

• Round The World Flight 1929

• Propaganda and Commercial Flights 1933-36

• Last Flights 1936-37

The compact decal sheet is glossy and printed in perfect register.

This is a nice model of an historically significant airship. Its size in 1/720 scale is just right too, in my opinion.

After careful cleanup this will be a fast build.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Mark I Models for the review sample

Review Text and Images Copyright © 2017 by Brett Green
Page Created 4 September, 2017
Last updated 5 September, 2017

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