Original Prototype of Graf Tin Wind-up Dirigible Airship (Never Manufactured)

It is a one-of-a-kind Airship built in the mid-1930s as a final prototype for a Graf Wind-up Airship that was never manufactured and was most likely built by TippCo and had the label Graf L 129 painted on the sides. 

The Hindenburg was registered as LZ129 and when the Hindenburg disaster occurred in May 1937 the L129 prototype was likely abandoned. The 10” long zeppelin was somewhat unique since the prototype featured additional small fan blades attached to the lower struts reinforcing the passenger compartment.

The prototype's wind up never attached to these fan blades. When tested, the wind-up mechanism with the key worked well and powered the main blades attached to the rear of the airship. Unfortunately, the light plastic twin blade propeller was of prototype quality and one of the plastic fan blades broke off but the wind-up mechanism does show good rotation but the prop only contains one blade. 

The German aviation pioneer Ferdinand Adolf August Heinrich Graf Von Zeppelin (1838-1917) was the founder of the Zeppelin Airship Company. It's interesting to note that he visited the United States during the Civil War and worked as a military observer in the Union Army's Balloon Corps.

The real LZ129 known as the Hindenburg was only in-flight service for about 14 months before the fire and crash served to eliminate the German airship industry. Dirigible's  were part of Hitler's arsenal to show the world how Germany was the leader in air travel advancement. Given this background, it's easy to understand why this prototype never reached production status.