Zeppelin LZ 62 (L 30) - Kaiser's Floating Castle

[NotKringe]

Would you like to see the LZ 62 being obtainable as a playable vehicle?

• Yes
• No

The L 30 in flight.

After having played the Great War event, I feel like there is a missed oppotunity for adding an entirely new type of vehicle into the game; airship aka zeppelins.

Since the LZ 62 (L 30) which were featured in the event were best known as the most successful vehicle of its type, along with the fact that this vehicle is already modelled in-game for the event, I would like to make a suggestion for its permanent inclusion into the game.

History

Spoiler

The LZ 62 was the first of the R-class zeppelins, first developed in mid-1915. The so-called Grosskampftyps class (lit. “super airship”) was designed to be significantly larger than its predecessor in order to fly higher at a higher altitudes, further away than any aircraft could reach at that time.

At the time of its construction, the LZ 62 was the world’s largest zeppelin, as well as the fastest. Capable of top speed of 103 km/h.

The starboad side gondola of the LZ 62.

The LZ 62 is notable for being the first airship to feature a side gondola. These gondolas were mainly used to house one of the engines as well as the defensive gunner.

Speaking of armament, the LZ 62 is armed with ten 7.62 mm MG08/15 machine guns. Three on the bow platform, two each in driver’s gondola and rear gondola, and one each in each side gondolas and the stern behind the tailplane. The airship is capable of carrying up to 7,600 kg of bomb payloads, in the form of 8 x 300 kg explosive bombs, 40 x 100 kg explosive bombs, and 120 x 10 kg fire bombs.

The LZ 62 flying above the office of Peter Strasser, chief commander of the Imperial German Navy Zeppelin corps.

After being completed in May 1916, LZ 62 assigned to the Imperial German Navy zeppelin corps that month, when it received the technical designation “L 30”.

The LZ 62 is best known as the most successful airship of World War I, having conducted 31 recon trips and 10 bombing runs, and dropped a total payload of 23,305 kg of bombs. Among these were the major bombing raids on London in September 1916. During the raid, the defending Royal Air Force deployed numerous night fighters armed with incendiary rounds to counter the raid, which resulted into several airships, including LZ 62’s sister ship LZ 72 (L 31) being shot down. These were the sign of the end of the usage of airship as an active combatant.

Years later, the LZ 62 were deployed on the eastern front to conduct bombing raids on various Russian Baltic ports. However, she would later be decommissioned on the November of that year.

The engine gondola of the LZ 62 in Belgian Royal Military Museum.

After the war, the LZ 62 was given to Belgium as a part of reparations in 1920. However, due to the lack of suitable facility to house and maintain such a large airship, a decision was made to scrap the airship that year. Only the engine gondola of the LZ 62 were preserved, and it is on display at the Belgian Royal Military Museum.

Specifications

Spoiler

• Length: 198 m (649 ft 7 in)
• Diameter (max.): 23.9 m (78 ft 5 in)
• Gas volume: 55,000 m3 (1,900,000 cu ft)
• Number of gas cells: 19
• Number of gondolas: 4
• Number of propellers: 6 x Lorenzen
• Number of crew members: 17
• Max speed: 103 km/h (28,7 m/s; 62.2 mph)
• Range: 7,400 km (4,600 mi)
• Max altitude: 3,900 m (12,800 ft)
• Payload: 27,721 kg (61,114 lb)
• Empty weight: 36,186 kg (79,776 lb)
• Engines: 6 x Maybach HSLu of 240 hp each. Total: 1440 hp.
• Defensive armaments: 10 x MG08/15 machine guns
• Suspended armaments: Up to 7,600 kg of bombs (8 x 300 kg explosive bombs, 40 x 100 kg explosive bombs, and 120 x 10 kg fire bombs).

Sources:

Spoiler

Zeppelin L 30 - Wikipedia
LZ 62 – Wikipedia (in German)
LZ 62 / Zeppelin ´L 30´ —
Zeppelin- & Garnisonsmuseum Tønder – Luftskibe (in Danish)
Horst Freiherr von Buttlar: Zeppeline gegen England. Amalthea-Verlag, Zürich/Leipzig/Wien 1931
Peter Meyer: Luftschiffe – Die Geschichte der deutschen Zeppeline. Bernard & Graefe Verlag, Bonn 1996, ISBN 3-7637-5951-4
Hans von Schiller: Zeppelin – Wegbereiter des Weltluftverkehrs. Kirschbaum-Verlag, Bad Godesberg, 1966

[foxmeup]

yes, it’s free XP The soviet have the tb-3m so why the german couldn’t get their own gigantic airship?

[JamesPond1200-psn]

Yes please!!! +1 for a WWI rank.

[DMYEugen]

+1 lmao

[PlayedStatue626-live]

+1 Hopefully it doesn’t cause lag issues like bluewater occasionally do.

[fedethesniper]

+1.
I’d even argue it wouldn’t be as bad as it seems, as it would be able to climb very quickly (13m/s according to the event statcard) compared to other 1.0 bombers, so it would probably work just fine in Air RB.

Also, that’s A LOT of bombs.

[Greisby-psn]

Oh yeah, that would be so much fun—even if it wouldn’t last long and would probably end in a giant hydrogen fireball 😄
(ALL Zeppelins were filled with hydrogen!)
I would even be ready to BUY IT as premium.

[Greisby-psn]

I edited, reedited, searched documentation, extended, reworked and re-reworked my previous post the whole afternoon, realizing that adding the zeppelins could really be a game changer in the early BRs.

I put all of this in this new post instead, with a poll.
Just tell me (and Gaijin) what you think about it!

---

Why not a mini tech-tree? for Zeppelins?

These would not play like normal bombers. Zeppelins are slow, huge, visible from space, and instantly dead if intercepted — but if allowed to climb and cruise properly at altitude, they would offer a strategic bombing gameplay style that War Thunder simply doesn’t have yet.

Risk = high // Reward = high // Style = unmatched.

These would play very differently from normal bombers: very slow, very vulnerable but capable of operating at high altitude and performing long, steady bombing runs. Survival would depend on staying high, choosing the right approach path and having some team players protecting it while climbing.
If the enemy catches you, it’s over.
If not: strategic bombing gameplay!

Suggested tree:

• Class P/Q
  ~160 m long, top speed 90 km/h, cruise speed 60 km/h, max altitude 2 800 m
  7-8 MG 7,92 mm
  payload: ~2 000 kg of bombs (HE+incendiary)
  Low altitude, slow, very vulnerable — but iconic early bomber – could be BR 1.0-1.3
• Class R (LZ 62 is one of them)
  ~200m long, 100 km/h, max altitude 4 000 m
  10 MG 7,92 mm
  payload: ~7 500 kg of bombs
  “Super-Zeppelin”, heavy payload but still catchable – could be BR 1.7
• Class S (First height-climber)
  ~ 200 m long, 110 km/h, max altitude 5 000 m
  4-6 MG 7,92 mm
  payload: 2 000-3 000 kg of bombs
  Survival by altitude begins here: survival by climbing above where many early fighters can reach – could be BR 2.0 to give other a chance to get it
• Class T – about same BR
  ~ 200 m long, 110 km/h, max altitude 5 500 m
  4-6 MG 7,92 mm
  payload: 2 000-3 000 kg of bombs
  a bit higher
• Class U (Peak high-altitude meta)
  ~ 200 m long, 115 km/h, max altitude 6 000-6 400 m
  4-6 MG 7,92 mm
  payload: 3 000-4 000 kg of bombs
  everything sacrified to altitude; some planes simply cannot touch you — but if they do, you burn instantly – could be BR 2.3-2.7
• Class V - could be BR 3.0
  ~ 210 m long, 115 km/h, max altitude 6 200 m
  6-8 MG 7,92 mm
  4 000-6 000 kg of bombs
• Class W
  ~ 225 m long, 115 km/h, max altitude 6 300 m
  5-6 MG 7,92 mm
  no bombs (logistic/transport) – forget it
• Class X
  ~ 225 m long, 120 km/h, max altitude 5 500 m
  6-8 MG 7,92 mm
  5 000-7 000 kg of bombs
  Command-Zeppelin, late war strategic bomber

Gameplay Identity

• If intercepted → instant catastrophic loss.
  No armor: in the better, case diving on hydrogen loss, or a nice explosion!
• If allowed to climb and navigate → devastating long bombing runs.
• Crew must think like a fleet commander, not a dive bomber.
• Finally gives War Thunder a true strategic bomber experience.

This is not “just another bomber.”
It’s a floating city with a flight plan, altitude management and narrative presence.

Teamplay Requirement (This is the real twist)

Unlike conventional bombers, Zeppelins cannot operate alone.
To survive, they would require active cooperation from the team:

• friendly fighters forming a defensive screen during the climb,
• interceptors clearing attackers before they get close,
• and strategic communication about altitude, route and timing.

This actually creates a new kind of gameplay.
Because in War Thunder, players rarely escort heavy bombers — everyone tends to play for themselves.
Zeppelins would encourage — even reward — coordinated team behavior, turning a match into:

“Do we protect the airship and gain strategic control of the map,
or do we let it die and lose the long-range bombing pressure?”

This transforms a typical arcade/dogfight atmosphere into something closer to
a coordinated raid operation — which is something the game does not currently have.

---

And yes, the American Akron & Macon would also be fun!
They even had fighters on-board!

Floating aircraft carriers in War Thunder.
Tell me that wouldn’t be epic!

---

[Would you like to see this in-game?]

• Yes
• No

[serious_sick]

Yes, i agree they should bring the zeppelin back because if we can have the H.P. 12 why cant we have the zeppelin too?

[serious_sick]

Cool idea

[joshje100]

We should have been allowed to keep it from the event.

It would be awful to play but looked cool anyway.

[BACKRAGE44428-live]

still waiting for my FOKKER DVII so i can bully noobs

[ILuvAnneHathaway]

This would look so funny in the hangar lmao

[gfdsa_killer]

+1 Still better than the PO-2

[gfdsa_killer]

I wonder if the zepellin has enough bombs to destroy the airfield in 1 run? At that tier.

[serious_sick]

Yeah these would be nice.

[serious_sick]

I hope that the devs will atleast consider this suggestion.

[serious_sick]

I would buy it too. I hope it returns one day…