Zeppelin, Ferdinand von, cavalry general and inventor of the dirigible (1838-1917). ALS ("Gf. Zeppelin").

€ 3,500.00

In German, to an unknown recipient: "Ganswindt has publicly alleged to have sent me, by registered mail, the measurements which my airship must have, and that my airship can have any value only insofar as I followed his advice.

I did in fact receive such a letter, but only years after I had already submitted to the Kaiser's commission the design for my airship with the very measurements it later was to have [...]".

The East Prussian inventor Hermann Ganswindt (1856-1934) developed concepts for a space vehicle based on the principle of repulsion. His two-stage vehicle was designed to be driven by a series of dynamite explosions. Since it was to be taken aloft by way of a carrier vehicle, he designed a helicopter as early as 1884. Ganswindt's work is considered to be ahead of his time by several decades since his contemporary fellows had been unable to recognize the impact of his ideas. During his late years he kept in touch with Austrian rocket pioneer Max Valier as well as with German rocket pioneer Hermann Oberth, who shared his knowledge of Robert Goddard's work with him.

On stationery with printed address. Some browning due to paper, otherwise well-preserved.