Graf Zeppelin over Washington DC. US flag and the US Capitol building in Washington DC, USA, with the airship the Graf Zeppelin overhead. Officially known as the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin, this airship was named after its German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin. It first flew in 1928, using 'blau gas' (a fuel similar to propane). With a length of nearly 237 metres, it was the largest airship at that time. It frequently circumnavigated the globe and visited remote regions such as the Arctic. The LZ 127 was retired in 1937, due to numerous explosive accidents in other airships caused by flammable gases. It was deconstructed in 1940, as its aluminium parts were needed to support World War II. Photographed between 1928 and 1930.