Airships past and present, together with chapters on the use of balloons in connection with meteorology, photography and the carrier pigeon (1908) (14802107493)

Identifier: airshipspastpres00hild (find matches)
Title: Airships past and present, together with chapters on the use of balloons in connection with meteorology, photography and the carrier pigeon
Year: 1908 (1900s)
Authors: Hildebrandt, A. (Alfred), b. 1870 Story, W. H. tr
Subjects: Aeronautics
Publisher: New York, D. Van Nostrand company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress



Text Appearing Before Image:
tions, except in the car, sails, andrudder. Consequently it can be packed up easily and puton a railway truck. This adds much to its suitabilityfor military purposes. Lebaudys airship is indeed capable ofbeing packed up, but it requires to be taken to pieces in conse-quence of stiffening of various kinds, and this work takes morethan a day. The shape of Major Parsevals design is also novel.It consists of a cylinder with a spherical end at the front and anegg-shaped end at the back. The length is 157 ft., and thecapacity 88,300 cubic feet. Two air-bags are placed inside theenvelope, one at the front and one at the back. These bags areconstantly filled by a fan, driven by a special motor, any excessof air escaping through the safety valves. By a special arrange-ment of valves, the driver is able to adjust the amount of airwhich passes to the air-bags. According as he wishes to raiseor lower the front end of the balloon, he adjusts the jDassage of DIRIGIBLE BALLOONS FROM 1898 TO 1906. 85
Text Appearing After Image:
CD So the air to the back or front air-bag, thereby causing a displace-ment of the centre of gravity. The surfaces, which are used forsteering and for adding stability to the balloon, are blown upunder pressure, and the shape which they thus assume is 86 AIKSHIPS PAST AND PEE SENT. considered to be more suitable for the purpose in view. A motor byDaimler is used, giving 90 h.p., at 1,000 revolutions per minute.It is placed at the back of the car, which is 16 ft. long. The caris hung by steel ropes about 26 ft. below the envelope, and isconstructed for the most part of sheets of aluminium. Itsweight, together with that of the motor, propeller, etc., is 1Jtons. The propeller with its four blades is prepared from stiffcanvas ; it assumes its proper shape when put in motion. Thefan is placed above the motor, and a length of tubing connectswith the envelope. Tests have shown thatthe balloon keeps its shape well, that it iscompletely free from vibration when underweigh, and that it is well