what if count ferdinand von zeppelin moved to the u.s instead of gustave whitehead

In our time line, the ability of Count Zeppelin to build dirigible airships depended upon a number of other people, all of whom were living and working within the German Empire. These included the manufacturers of engines, the smelters of aluminum, engineers, and financial backers. Thus, the key to making Zeppelin something other than a circus aeronaut entertaining Americans of the Gilded Age is the provision of an alternate network of contributors.
 

Driftless

Donor
A bit of a reach, but Zeppelin makes the switch to Helium and comes to the US for easier access? A timing problem arises with the first low-level commercial production of Helium as a by-product of natural gas extraction starts in the early 1900's. The US Army got involved just before WW1.
 
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