PROGRESS WITH AIR SHIPS. 169 



the jsauie u,s that of M. Santos Dumont, but it has one or two peculi- 

 arities worth noting. Instead of the ordinary net, the balloon is cov- 

 ered with a "■ chemise" of unvarnished silk, to the lower edges of which 

 a continuous boarding is attached. A squiire rudder is placed in rear, 

 suspended from the end of a triangular framework. The screw, of 

 the same form as the Santos Dumont, is 22 feet in diameter. 



LEBAUDY'S BALLOON. 



But of greater interest still is the air ship of Messrs. Lebaudy, 

 which is kept ready inflated in its shed at Moisson. This is probald}' 

 the most successful aerial machine ever made. It has now accom- 

 plished 2U voyages, in all of Avhich, with one exception, it has suc- 

 cessfully returned to its point of departure. As comparatively few 

 details have been hitherto published about this machine, it may be 

 interesting to give some. The gas vessel is long and finely pointed 

 at the ends, and contains 80,000 cubic feet. It is composed of two 

 thicknesses of cloth with a layer of India rubber in between, and the 

 whole is painted bright yellow. The arrangement, designed by M. 

 elulliot, is quite different to that adopted by so man}' other inventors. 

 There is no long framework suspended below the balloon, but the 

 lower surface of the latter is made flat, and a frame of steel tubing 

 surrounds this plane. From the front part of this six steel tubes run 

 diagonally down to the car, so as to convey the thrust of the propel- 

 lers to the balloon, the car being supported l)y a number of steel-wire 

 ropes. Below the plane is arranged a keel, consisting of a framework 

 of steel tubing, covered along the after half of it with canvas. This 

 keel is continued far away to the rear, where it ends with the rudder. 

 Under the flat part of the balloon is a layer of uninflamabic material, 

 and all the portion above it is occupied by the air-tilled ballonet, so 

 that there is very little danger of the gas becoming ignited from the 

 engines. The two safety valves to ease the pressure of the gas are 

 also placed well out of reach behind. 



The car consists of a boat-shaped frame of steel, partially covered 

 in at the sides with canvas, the after part being left open, so as not to 

 ofl'er any resistance to the air. The engine, a Mercedes, of -id horse- 

 power, is placed in the center, the shaft running horizontally across 

 and geared at right angles to the two propellers. The latter are 2.44 m. 

 in diameter, and each consists of a steel bar, to which is tixed a thin 

 plate of steel of a width equal to one-sixteenth of the circumference. 

 These comparatively small propellers rotate at a considerable speed — 

 about 1,(»00 turns per minute. 



In the front i)art of the car, where the aeronaut in charge stands, 

 may be seen the steering wheel, similar to that of a motor car. This 

 is connected by means of an endless chain and wires to the rudder. 

 Above this are the pressure gauges to show the compression of the 



