Year |
Month/Day |
Person |
Balloon Event |
1400 |
|
Roger Bacon |
Suggested a plan of flotation of a large hollow sphere of
very thin copper, to be filled with "etherial or liquid fire." Believed air to
have a definite consistency and capable of sustentation like water. No
definite record of actual experimentation. |
1670 |
|
Francesco Lana |
Suggested four copper balls of thin walls, and entirely
exhausted of air. Balls each to be 20 feet in diameter, and so thin that each
weighed less than an equal bulk of atmosphere. Fallacy consisted in the
physical condition that the walls would be too thin to withstand atmospheric
pressure. The construction may be regarded as the prototype of the modern
balloon. |
1709 |
Aug 8 |
Bartholomeo-Lourenco de Gusmao |
Causes what is probably a hot-air balloon or a gas balloon
to rise to ceiling of the Palace of Indies in Lisbon, Portugal. |
1767 |
|
Dr. Black |
Of Edinburgh suggested the use of hydrogen with a thin
bladder bag. |
1782 |
Jun 20 |
Tiberius Cavallo |
Presents a note to Royal Society describing successful
experiments with hydrogen-inflated soap bubbles. |
1782 |
Nov |
Stephen & Joseph Montgolfier |
Used a hot-air balloon to lift a load. |
1783 |
Jun 5 |
Joseph Montgolfier & his brother |
At Annonay, France, a balloon of 35 feet diameter, filled
with hot. air, is sent up attaining a height of more than one mile. |
1783 |
Jun 26 |
Charles |
At Paris, France, a hydrogen balloon is sent by this
scientist. |
1783 |
Aug 30 |
Charles |
Sent up a 12-foot diameter balloon, made of oiled silk
and filled with hydrogen, on the Champ de Mars, Passy. |
1783 |
Sep 19 |
J. Montgolfier |
Hot air balloon is sent up with sheep, rooster and duck,
all landing uninjured. |
1783 |
Nov 21 |
Pilatre de Rozier & Marquis d'Arlandes |
At La Muette palace, near Paris, hot-air balloon rises
with both men and descends safely in 20 minutes. |
1783 |
Dec 1 |
Charles and Roberts |
Hydrogen balloon covers three miles in two hours, leaving
the Tuileries and landing near Nesle, France. |
1783 |
Dec 26 |
Sebastien Lenormand |
Descends by parachute from the Tower of the Montpelier
Observatory. |
1784 |
Jan 19 |
|
At Lyons, seven passengers ascend in La Flaselle hot-air
balloon, the largest of its type ever constructed 100 x 130 feet. |
1784 |
Mar 2 |
Blanchard |
Tried to steer with aerial oars. |
1784 |
Aug 27 |
Tytler |
Made the first ascent in England, using a cloth bag
covered with varnish. |
1784 |
Sep 19 |
Roberts Brothers |
Use fish-shaped balloon, oars and rudder, and changed
course 22 degrees in calm air. French experiment. |
1784 |
Dec 17 |
Roberts and Charles |
Took up a hydrogen balloon of over 10,000 cubic feet.
|
1784 |
Dec 17 |
General Meusnier |
Introduced the principle of ballonnet, in a balloon
equipped with hand-worked propellers. Propelling scheme anticipated by the
Roberts Brothers. |
1784 |
Dec 17 |
Lunardi |
Made the first flight over London. |
1785 |
Jan 7 |
Jeffreys and Blanchard |
Cross the channel from Dover, landing in the Province of
Artois. |
1812 |
|
Leppig |
Uses a fish-shaped balloon, with free propellers.
Unsuccessful. Russian experiment. |
1834 |
|
Count de Lennox |
Attempted a ballon flight in a cylindrical balloon 130
feet long, and fitted with twenty oar propellers. French experiment. |
1836 |
Nov 7 |
Messrs. Robert Holland, Charles Green, & Monck
Mason |
Sail in a coal gas balloon in eighteen hours from London
to Weilburg, Nassau, a distance of 500 miles. |
1848 |
|
Hugh Bell |
Used screw propellers on a cylindrical balloon, 65 feet
long. English experiment. |
1852 |
Sep 23 |
Henry Gifford |
Makes a voyage with a dirigible from Paris to Trappes and
back, with rudder and steam motor. Balloon was spindle shaped, 130 feet long;
motor developed 3 horse power. In still air, had speed of 4 mph; winged propellers used. French experiment. |
1853 |
Oct 4 |
Felix Tournachan |
Flies the "Geant," a free type balloon of 215,000 cubic
feet from Champ de Mars to Meaux, carrying fifteen people. Bag equipped with
compensating ballonnet, suggested by ML Godard. |
1859 |
Jun 23 |
John Wise |
Sails from St. Louis, MO to Henderson, NY, distance of 809 miles. |
1862 |
Sep 5 |
(James) Glaisher and Coxwell |
Ascend 37,000 feet, according to Mr. Glaisher's reckoning.
They are credited with about six miles, starting from Wolverhampton, England. |
1869 |
|
Henry Gifford |
Made two ascensions in a captive balloon of 460,000 cubic
feet capacity, from Habburnham Park. |
1870 |
|
De Lome |
Flew in a spindle-shaped balloon 110 feet long, using
screw propellers and sail-like rudder. Apparatus was operable. French
experiment. |
1872 |
|
Haenlein |
Attained successful flight with a cylindrical balloon 165
feet long, using a cylinder gas engine of 2.8 horse power. Austrian
experiment. |
1883 |
|
Tissandier Brothers |
Successfully drive a spindle-shaped balloon 90 feet long,
using a Siemens electric motor. French experiment. |
1884 |
Aug 9 |
Captain Charles Renard |
His "La France," dirigible, with 9 HP motor, makes
successful flight, showing complete control. In seven trials, in the course of
two years, it returned to its point of departure five times out of seven.
Speed, 14.5 mph. Had the ballonnet of Meusner; used the suspension system of
De Lome, and the electric equipment of Tissandier Brothers. Bag was 160 feet
long; propeller placed at front; carriage to balance weight of rudder at rear
end. French experiment. |
1886 |
|
Woelfert |
Flies with a cigar-shaped balloon, 91 feet long; equipped
with a Daimler motor and a two-bladed aluminum propeller. German
experiment. |
1893 |
|
Schwartz |
Suggested the use of an aluminum structure. Russian
experiment. |
1895 |
|
Schwartz |
Operating in Germany, built an aluminum airship, 150 feet
long fitted with a 12 HP Daimler motor. |
1897 |
Jul 11 |
Andree |
Made an attempt to reach the North Pole, accompanied by
Frankel, Svedenborg and Strindberg. |
1898 |
|
Zeppelin |
Built a cigar-shaped rigid airship, 418 feet long, fitted
with two 16 HP motors. German experiment. |
1900 |
Jul 2 |
Zeppelin |
In Zeppelin I makes first flight from Lake Constance. |
1900 |
Oct |
De la Vaulx |
Makes flight from Vincennes, France, to Korostcheff,
Russia, a distance of 1,193 miles, in 36 3/4 hours. (Largest balloon flight
recorded to 1911). |
1900 |
|
Roze |
Suggests the use of a double airship. |
1901 |
Jul 31 |
Prof. Berson and Dr. Suring |
Ascend from Berlin to an altitude of 35,425 feet in the
hydrogen balloon "Preussen," 300,000 cubic feet. |
1901 |
Oct 19 |
Santos Dumont |
Sailed from St. Cloud around the Eiffel Tower, and
returned within half an hour. Won the "Deutsch Prize." Balloon was 108 feet
long, 20 feet diameter and fitted with a gasoline motor of 18-20 HP, Velocity
19 miles per hour. French experiment. |
1902 |
|
Lebaudy Brothers |
Launch non-rigid dirigible "Jaune," attaining a speed
of 26 mph Length, 180 feet, diameter, 32 feet; filled with 80,600 cubic
feet hydrogen; fitted with a 40 HP Daimler motor, operating twin propellers.
Ballonnets used. |
1904 |
|
|
The "Lebaudy" accepted by French War Department. Same type
as the "Jaune." |
1906 |
|
Julliot |
Designed and built the "Patrie." General cigar-shaped form
of Renard used. Length was 197 feet, diameter, 33 feet. Fitted with horizontal
and vertical stabilizing planes at stern of bag; also a directive rudder at
rear of framework. Volume 128,900 cubic feet. Car had exceptionally long
suspension, from an elliptical frame-work of steel tubes. |
1907 |
Oct 12 |
HE Gaudron, JL Launer and CC Turner |
Attempted to break world's record for distance (1,193
miles, held by Count de la Vaulx). Balloon ascended from Crystal Palace,
crossed the North Sea, from Yarmouth to north coast of Denmark, a sea-distance
of 360 miles. This is largest over-sea voyage made to time of flight. Journey
ultimately terminated at shore of Lake Wener in Sweden. Total distance 702
miles. |
1907 |
Nov 23 |
|
The "Patrie" sailed from Chalais to Verdun, 1.87 miles, in
6 hours and 45 minutes, against a light wind. |
1908 |
Nov |
AE Gaudron, EM Maitland and CC Turner |
Made a flight from London, England, to Mateki, Dereveni,
Russia—1,117 miles in 31 1/2 hours. Longest flight made from England. |
1908 |
Nov |
|
The German Government purchases the "Gross I," "Parseval
I" and "Zeppelin I." |
1908 |
Nov |
|
United States War Department purchases Thomas R. Baldwin's
dirigible, 96 x 19 1/2 feet, with Curtiss 20 H. P. motor. |
1909 |
|
|
The non-rigid dirigible "Espana" travels from Beauval to
Paris and return in five hours, ten minutes at 31 mph. |
1910 |
Oct 17 |
AR Hawley & Augustus Post |
Travel in "America" from St. Louis to North Lake
Chilogoma, Canada, a distance of 1,172.9 miles. |
1910 |
Oct 26 |
|
French build dirigible for English Government. |
1910 |
Oct 26 |
|
The "Morning Post" makes flight from Moisson to
Farnborough, a distance of 230 miles, in 5.5 hours. Speed almost 42 mph. |
1912 |
Oct 27 |
Bienaime and Rumpelmager |
Start on a journey from Stuttgart to Riazau, Russia, 1,375
miles. |
1913 |
Jun 19/21 |
Rumpelmager & William Goldschmidt |
Sail from Lamotte, Brenil to Voitchy, Kharkoff, 1,600
miles. |
1914 |
Feb 8/10 |
|
"Berliner" sails from Bitterfeld to Bigsertsk in Peru,
1,895 miles. |