History Main / HindenburgIncendiaryPrinciple

* Averted in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'', where Indie and his father escape from it because they were about to caught, but the zeppelin itself is never in danger. Ironically, the Zeppelin is implied to be the ''Hindenburg'' itself.

* ComicBook/TheSimpsonsFuturamaCrossoverCrisis: In the first miniseries, after Homer spits out the anti-gravity gum keeping their car in the air when said gum loses its flavor, the car falls through the sky... only to safely land on top of the Duff blimp. Bender says their good luck calls for a "celebratory smoke", and despite Leela warning him not to, Bender lights his cigar, and the blimp predictably bursts into flame (revealing a [[JustPlaneWrong rigid metal framework similar to a zeppelin]]), causing the car to resume falling. Fortunately, Professor Frink and Farnsworth come to the rescue on a flying motorcycle.

* ''Film/Wings1927'' has two blimps get shot down and blown up.

Even zeppelins filled with hydrogen were difficult to ignite, because hydrogen requires oxygen to burn, and the gas inside them was kept pure for exactly that reason. The zeppelins used in WW1 to bomb the Entente powers were next to impossible to bring down for the opening years of the war, which had led to untrue rumors that the Germans had discovered a nonflammable lift gas, helium being unknown on earth at the time. The British had to develop special incendiary ammunition to ignite leaking hydrogen, and usually a few whole ''drums'' of it were necessary to bring one down, concentrating fire on a single spot. That's what made the ''Hindenburg'' disaster so shocking in 1937; up until that point, not a single passenger had ever died in the Zeppelin airlines since they started carrying passengers nearly thirty years before.

One thing that can afford a zeppelin a measure of protection from this fate is if [[ZeppelinsFromAnotherWorld it's only there to show that the story takes place in an alternate universe]]. This protection applies most strongly to background zeppelins that exist solely for that purpose; a zeppelin that plays a large role in the plot takes its chances like everyone else, especially if it [[DreadZeppelin belongs to a villain]].

Even zeppelins filled with hydrogen were difficult to ignite, because hydrogen requires oxygen to burn, and the gas inside them was kept pure for exactly that reason. The ones bombing London were next to impossible to bring down for the opening years of the war, which had led to untrue rumors that the Germans had discovered a nonflammable lift gas, helium being unknown on earth at the time. Special incendiary ammunition had to be developed to ignite leaking hydrogen, and usually a few whole ''drums'' of it were necessary to bring one down, concentrating fire on a single spot. That's what made the ''Hindenburg'' disaster so shocking at the time; up until that point, not a single passenger had ever died on one of Count Zeppelin's civilian machines since they started carrying passengers nearly thirty years before.

Dirigibles and even blimps in real life are vastly safer than their reputation would suggest. On all but the smallest vessels, lift gas was contained in a number of separate cells, like the watertight compartments of a ship, rather than a single big balloon. Large holes and tears happen sometimes, due to accidents such as throwing a propeller blade, but these were very gradual issues, and often fixed in-flight. During WWII, the peak of airship usage, Navy blimps used helium, and although they occasionally suffered from gasoline fires like any other piston-driven aircraft, their fatal accident rate was 1.3 per 100,000 hours. That means that they were safer than most helicopters, although in fiction that [[HellishCopter isn't saying much.]]

Airships in real life aren't actually pressurised. We're used to balloons full of pressurised gas, which burst and leak when they get the tiniest hole, because party balloons are made of rubber which only holds its shape when inflated. Most large rigid airships (including the ''Hindenburg'') however were made of thin sheets of fabric supported by an internal framework. They held their shape without having to be inflated, so there was no pressure difference between the inside and outside, and as a result a single puncture won't burst it - even huge holes aren't necessarily fatal if there's a suitable landing site nearby.

It's also worth remembering that even zeppelins filled with hydrogen are difficult to ignite, because pure hydrogen doesn't burn by itself, it requires oxygen. The ones bombing London were next to impossible to bring down for the opening years of the war, which had led to untrue rumors that the Germans had discovered a nonflammable lift gas, helium being unknown on earth at the time. Special incendiary ammunition had to be developed to ignite leaking hydrogen, and usually a few whole ''drums'' of it were necessary to bring one down, concentrating fire on a single spot. That's what made the ''Hindenburg'' disaster so shocking at the time-up until that point, not a single passenger had ever died on one of Count Zeppelin's civilian machines since they started carrying passengers nearly thirty years before.

The Hindenburg only used flammable hydrogen because Nazi Germany was under an embargo on inert helium. In fictionland, ''all'' dirigibles are filled with combustible gas.

Dirigibles and even blimps in real life are vastly safer than their reputation would suggest. On all but the smallest vessels, lift gas was contained in a number of separate cells, like the watertight compartments of a ship, rather than a single big balloon. Large holes and tears happen sometimes, due to accidents such as throwing a propeller blade, but these were very gradual issues, and often fixed in-flight. During WWII, the peak of airship usage, Navy blimps used helium, and although they occasionally suffered from gasoline fires like any other piston-driven aircraft, their fatal accident rate was 1.3 per 100,000 hours. That means that they were safer than most modern helicopters, although in fiction that [[HellishCopter isn't saying much.]]

One other point worth mentioning is that most airships in real life aren't actually pressurised. We're used to balloons full of pressurised gas, which burst and leak when they get the tiniest hole, because party balloons are made of rubber which only holds its shape when inflated. Most large rigid airships (including the Hindenburg) however were made of thin sheets of fabric supported by an internal framework. They held their shape without having to be inflated, so there was no pressure difference between the inside and outside, and as a result a single puncture won't burst it - even huge holes aren't necessarily fatal if there's a suitable landing site nearby.

It's also worth remembering that even zeppelins filled with hydrogen are difficult to ignite. The ones bombing London were next to impossible to bring down until specialist ammunition was developed,[[note]]Bullets designed to light the gas just passed through them without igniting the hydrogen, because there wasn't any oxygen inside for it to burn with, and neither them nor normal rounds could do enough damage to the aircraft's shell to let any in; eventually fighter planes carrying specially positioned guns loaded with alternating explosive and incendiary bullets proved successful.[[/note]][[note]]Note that "next to impossible" does ''not'' mean NighInvulnerable; even before the development of these special ammunition loads, a number of zeppelins ''were'' brought down by [[DeathOfAThousandCuts shooting them over and over and over and over and over again until they were so full of holes that they lost enough buoyancy to force an emergency landing]]. However, this ''was'' quite difficult and time-consuming, and generally only worked against zeppelins that got lost over enemy territory or were prevented from returning home by contrary winds.[[/note]] and even then took multiple runs to actually set aflame. They could even keep going after losing a fair quantity of their hydrogen, because by that point in the mission, they were much lighter (having dropped their bombs and burned much of their fuel).

The Hindenburg only used flammable hydrogen because Nazi Germany was under an embargo on helium. In fictionland, ''all'' dirigibles are filled with combustible gas.

Dirigibles and even blimps in real life are generally more difficult to injure than their depiction in fiction - that is, something like a very large party balloon - would suggest. The gas was contained in a number of compartments, rather than a single big balloon. During WWII, blimps - typically belonging to the US Navy - were frequently tasked with protecting supply convoys on the Atlantic. The blimps were not expected to actually engage in battle (though they did carry depth charges and machine guns), but rather to serve as a form of airborne early warning, being able to spot enemy warships from much father away than a surface vessel. No convoy with a blimp escort was ever sunk by ''U-Boats''.

* The ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' episode "Pokéball Peril" referenced this when Team Rocket captures Ash and Misty aboard a blimp, and when Ash orders Pikachu to use a Thunderbolt attack on Team Rocket, they warn him that the blimp is basically "a giant flying inflammable gas tank," and that they'd "go Pika-boom!" if Pikachu did so. In the next episode, "The Lost Lapras", the now- unmanned blimp Ash and Misty are sleeping on due to Jigglypuff's singing, explodes when crash-landing on an island. [[NonFatalExplosions Fortunately our heroes aren't hurt.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Arcanum}}'': the game begins with your character on board a luxurious airship, which is attacked by orcs in steampunk fighter planes. It crashes, setting off the story.

* Averted in the ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert'' series, which features ZeppelinsFromAnotherWorld - Kirov is very tough and the Soviet ultimate air to ground weapon.

* In ''[[Literature/TheParasolProtectorate Heartless]]'', various small blimps catch fire when [[{{Bifauxnen}} Madame Lefoux]] goes on a rampage with an octopus-like SteamPunk device to take [[HasTwoMommies her son]] back from the vampires who kidnapped him.

* ''Film/{{Wings}}'' has two blimps get shot down and blown up.

One other point worth mention is that most airships in real life aren't actually pressurised. We're used to balloons full of pressurised gas, which burst and leak when they get the tiniest hole, because party balloons are made of rubber which only holds its shape when inflated. Most large rigid airships (including the Hindenburg) however were made of thin sheets of fabric supported by an internal framework. They held their shape without having to be inflated, so there was no pressure difference between the inside and outside, and as a result a single puncture won't burst it - even huge holes aren't necessarily fatal if there's a suitable landing site nearby.

It's also worth remembering that even zeppelins filled with hydrogen are difficult to ignite. The ones bombing London were next to impossible to bring down until specialist ammunition was developed[[note]]Bullets designed to light the gas just passed through them without igniting the hydrogen, because there wasn't any oxygen inside for it to burn with, and neither them nor normal rounds could do enough damage to the aircraft's shell to let any in; eventually fighter planes carrying specially positioned guns loaded with alternating explosive and incendiary bullets proved successful.[[/note]][[note]]Note that "next to impossible" does ''not'' mean NighInvulnerable; even before the development of these special ammunition loads, a number of zeppelins ''were'' brought down by [[DeathOfAThousandCuts shooting them over and over and over and over and over again until they were so full of holes that they lost enough buoyancy to force an emergency landing]]. However, this ''was'' quite difficult and time-consuming, and generally only worked against zeppelins that got lost over enemy territory or were prevented from returning home by contrary winds.[[/note]], and even then took multiple runs to actually set aflame. They could even keep going after losing a fair quantity of their hydrogen, because by that point in the mission, they were much lighter (having dropped their bombs and burned much of their fuel).

* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' has many, many ZeppelinsFromAnotherWorld. Some are destroyed in the course of the story, some survive, and even more were destroyed in various offscreen incidents ([[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20031017 "And how do dose alvays end? De dirigible iz in flames..."]]).

* From ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uluuYz1EoZ0 Hindenpeter]].

** In "Funeral for a Fiend," an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheItchyAndScratchyShow'' entitled "Spherical on 34th Street" has Itchy inflate Scratchy with hydrogen gas to the size of a blimp, resulting in him floating through the air amongst the balloons in a Thanksgiving Day parade. Then Itchy grabs a bow and arrow from another mouse dressed as a Native American on a Thanksgiving feast-themed float, sets the arrow alight with a candle, and fires the arrow at Scratchy, causing him to explode and turn into a huge fireball. As [[{{Squick}} his body parts rain down on the float and the other mice feast on them]], Itchy comments dressed as a radio reporter, "Oh, the hilarity!"

** In "Funeral for a Fiend," an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheItchyAndScratchyShow'' entitled "Spherical on 34th Street" has Itchy inflate Scratchy with hydrogen gas to the size of a blimp, resulting in him floating through the air amongst the balloons in a Thanksgiving Day parade. Then Itchy grabs a bow and arrow from another mouse dressed as at Native American on a Thanksgiving feast-themed float, sets the arrow alight with a candle, and fires the arrow at Scratchy, causing him to explode and turn into a huge fireball. As [[{{Squick}} his body parts rain down on the float and the other mice feast on them]], Itchy comments dressed as a radio reporter, "Oh, the hilarity!"

* The ''WesternAnimation/CatDog'' episode "Catdogpig" had a blimp advertising job interviews keep appearing in the sky as a RunningGag. In the end, it crashes into the pile of people [=CatDog=] detached from themselves and blows up, sending them all flying in the explosion.

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But why? There is the stereotype of:"If airships using lighter-than-air gas are present in a fiction, the gas will be flammable."

* In ''Literature/{{Destroyermen}}'', Japanese-designed zeppelins are frequently used en masse by the [[TheReptilians Grik]] to drop bombs. In response, Alliance pilots have grown quite adept at shooting the "zeps" down. It's not clear if they're using regular or incendiary ammo, but a few hits are usually enough to set a zeppelin aflame, which is partly justified by them using hydrogen.

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales'' had "The [[UsefulNotes/TheHindenburg Hinden]][[UsefulNotes/RMSTitanic tanic]]" dirigible in one episode.

Dirigibles and even blimps in real life are generally more difficult to injure than their depiction in fiction - that is, something like a very large party balloon - would suggest. Compartmentalisation of the envelope, for one, and, for military vehicles, ''armour'' for another. During WWII, blimps - typically belonging to the US Navy - were frequently tasked with protecting supply convoys on the Atlantic. The blimps were not expected to actually engage in battle (though they did carry depth charges), but rather to serve as a form of airborne early warning, being able to spot enemy warships from much father away than a surface vessel. No convoy with a blimp escort was ever sunk by ''U-Boats''.

One other point worth mention is that most airships in real life aren't actually pressurised. We're used to balloons full of pressurised gas, which burst and leak when they get the tiniest hole, because party balloons are made of rubber which only holds its shape when inflated. Most large rigid airships (including the Hindenburg) however were made of thin sheets of metal supported by an internal framework. They held their shape without having to be inflated, so there was no pressure difference between the inside and outside, and as a result a single puncture won't burst it - even huge holes aren't necessarily fatal if there's a suitable landing site nearby.

It's also worth remembering that even zeppelins filled with hydrogen are difficult to ignite. The ones bombing London were next to impossible to bring down until specialist ammunition was developed[[note]]Bullets designed to light the gas just passed through them without igniting the hydrogen, because there wasn't any oxygen inside for it to burn with, and neither them nor normal rounds could do enough damage to the aircraft's shell to let any in; eventually fighter planes carrying specially positioned guns loaded with alternating explosive and incendiary bullets proved successful.[[/note]][[note]]Note that "next to impossible" does ''not'' mean NighInvulnerable; even before the development of these special ammunition loads, a number of zeppelins ''were'' brought down by [[DeathOfAThousandCuts shooting them over and over and over and over and over again until they were so full of holes that they lost enough buoyancy to force an emergency landing]]. However, this ''was'' quite difficult and time-consuming, and generally only worked against zeppelins that got lost over enemy territory or were prevented from returning home by contrary winds.[[/note]], and even then took multiple runs to actually set aflame.

UsefulNotes/TheHindenburg only used flammable hydrogen because Nazi Germany was under an embargo on helium. In fictionland, ''all'' dirigibles are filled with combustible gas.

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* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Lisa the Beauty Queen" has Barney Gumble pilot the Duff Blimp and crash it into a radio tower, where it spectacularly bursts into flame in an apparent reference to the Hindenburg crash. Kent Brockman even exclaims "Oh, the humanity!"
** In "Funeral For a Fiend," an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheItchyAndScratchyShow'' entitled "Spherical on 34th Street" has Itchy inflate Scratchy with hydrogen gas to the size of a blimp, resulting in him floating through the air amongst the balloons in a Thanksgiving Day parade. Then Itchy grabs a bow and arrow from another mouse dressed as at Native American on a Thanksgiving feast-themed float, sets the arrow alight with a candle, and fires the arrow at Scratchy, causing him to explode and turn into a huge fireball. As [[{{Squick}} his body parts rain down on the float and the other mice feast on them]], Itchy comments dressed as a radio reporter, "Oh, the hilarity!"

--> '''Gumball:''' I don't know why they got rid of these. They're pretty cool! ''(zeppelin explodes into flame)'' Oh, right.
* WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck had this in mind in ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow'' episode "Eligible Bachelors," when Granny is telling him about a heroic deed she performed in UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo and is flying off in a Nazi blimp, Daffy interrupts the story with "Did the blimp explode? Did it explode into a million pieces?! It exploded and killed you, didn't it?!" It didn't, to which Granny asks him, "You're not very bright, are you?"

* Subverted(?) in the episode "Skytanic", of ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}''. A Zeppelin's maiden voyage is threatened by a bomb threat and ISIS is on the case. Archer is paranoid that the zeppelin is going to explode, despite the fact that everyone explains to him that helium, what this zeppelin uses, isn't flammable unlike hydrogen which is what the Hindenburg used. At the very end of course they manage to save the zeppelin from the bomb in a close call that wouldn't even have happened if not for the usual ISIS bumblings.