The person long since dreamed to subdue air open spaces. These dreams found reflection in myths, legends, fairy tales and national legends. The mankind managed to lift into the sky the first aircraft heavier than air at the beginning of the last century. And here the operated flight on the airship was made one and a half centuries ago.
The first experiments on creation of the airship
It is considered that to the first the idea of the airship was offered by the French military engineer Meunier. The inventor assumed to execute the aircraft in the form of the ellipsoid equipped with three propellers. For reduction of propellers in action muscular force of several dozen people had to be used. Meunier assumed to regulate height of raising of the aircraft, changing gas volume in a balloon cover.
Meunier's project developed in 1783 was not carried out as in those days there was no suitable engine for a balloon.
There passed more half a century. And here the locomotive driver Zhiffar borrowed Meunier's idea and realized it. He was helped also by acquaintance to works of the Parisian watchmaker Julien. Being Jack of all trades, Julien decided to supply uncontrollable balloons with the special mechanism. The watchmaker made three-meter model of the airship in which placed the spring clockwork. The spring dashingly rotated two screws located on each side the balloon by the form reminding a spindle. Julien's toy successfully flew under a ceiling of its workshop.
Giffar soon heard about surprising toy adaptation of the compatriot and hurried to get acquainted with the watchmaker-inventor. Having estimated an idea essence, Henri Giffar started business. At production of the airship the locomotive driver involuntarily copied Meunier's idea, having repeated his invention.
Airship Henri Giffara
The Zhiffara airship had more than 40 meters in length and was equipped with the steam-engine. The balloon pointed since both ends was covered with a grid to which the wooden beam below fastened. To the middle of a beam the master suspended the platform where installed the steam-engine and the screw with three blades.
The propulsion system could develop power in three horsepowers that was for those times big achievement.
Zhiffar's design was almost ready to the middle of 1852. On September 24 the same year the inventor made the first flight on the airship, having flown up from the Parisian hippodrome. The audience who were present at demonstration with surprise saw how the airship moved by air not at will of wind, and in that direction which was chosen by the pilot ("Airships", M.Ya. Ariye, 1986). The first airship was, of course, very imperfect device. It turned out that engine capacity did not allow it to move against strong wind. But the device in air was succeeded to develop Zhiffara and to go perpendicular to wind. Height of rise was more than one and a half kilometers. The first successful attempt to construct a balloon of the operated type that laid the foundation for a new stage in aeronautics was so made.