The Zeppelin Airship

Extract

I have been asked to give my opinion in regard to the value of the experiments of Count Zeppelin. I have made a close study of balloons for many years, and have followed very closely the experiments of Gaston Tissandier and Commandant Renard. In the experiments of Gaston Tissandier, the balloon was made cigar-shape, both ends being practically alike. The propelling force was a screw driven by an electrical engine. The machine was very carefully made, and was probably as beautiful a piece of workmanship as ever has been turned out. It was inflated with pure hydrogen. When it was tried, it rose in the air to perfection, and moved at a low velocity by means of its own screw and motive power, but the velocity through’ the air was considerably less than the velocity of the air itself, consequently it moved along with the wind very much like any other balloon. Other experiments were made, and it was found that the cigar–shape was not so favourable as a fishshape balloon.