Message #190302

[Jason Vorhees]

Another avenue that has intrigued investigators is the Hindenburg's skin. This subject is of particular interest to a former NASA employee named Addison Bain who believes the hydrogen gas aboard the airship is not to blame for the cause of the fire or its rapid spread. He instead believes the outer skin of the airship first ignited and the hydrogen would never have burned if the skin hadn't already done so. This flammable fabric theory is based on the Hindenburg's skin coating that consisted of iron oxide and aluminum-impregnated cellulose acetate butyrate dope. The doping material is known to be a flammable substance, and iron oxide also energetically reacts with aluminum powder. Since iron oxide is mixed with aluminum to create the explosive substance thermite and aluminum powder is often used to boost the performance of solid rocket motors, proponents of the flammable fabric theory frequently exaggerate by stating the Hindenburg was "coated in rocket fuel."