Zeppelin at this time used a plain light rubber-proofed fabric,
but this was not considered suitable for a ship which was
required to be moored in the open, as in wet weather the material
would get saturated and water-logged. Various experiments were
carried out with cotton, silk and ramie, and, as a result, silk
treated with Ioco was finally selected. This cover was laced
with cords to the girder work, and cover-strips rendered the
whole impervious to wet. Fire-proofed fabric was fitted in wake
of the gondolas for safety from the heat of the engines.

Two gondolas, each comprising a control compartment and
engine-room, were suspended from the main framework of the hull.
They were shaped to afford the least resistance possible to the
air, and were made of Honduras mahogany, three-ply where the
ballast tanks occurred, and two-ply elsewhere. The plies were
sewn together with copper wire. The gondolas were designed to
have sufficient strength to withstand the strain of alighting on
the water. They were suspended from the hull by wooden struts
streamline in shape, and fitted with internal steel-wire ropes;
additional wire suspensions were also fitted to distribute the
load over a greater length of the ship. The engines were
carried in the gondolas on four hollow wooden struts, also fitted
internally with wire. The wires were intended to support the
gondolas in the event of the struts being broken in making a
heavy landing.

Two engines were mounted, one in each gondola, the type used
being the 8-cylinder vertical water-cooled Wolseley developing a
horse-power of 160. The forward engine drove two wing propellers
through the medium of bevel gearing, while the after engine drove