La machine à vapeur dans l’aérostation au XIXe siècle

The steam engine became widely used in all sectors in the $19^{\rm th}$ century. But as far as aerostation was concerned, it was the prerogative of one and only one person, Henri Giffard. Since the advent of balloons in 1783, countless researchers had been thinking, without success, of making airshi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Molveau, Jean
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Académie des sciences 2024-11-01
Series:Comptes Rendus. Mécanique
Subjects:
Online Access:https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/mecanique/articles/10.5802/crmeca.257/
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The steam engine became widely used in all sectors in the $19^{\rm th}$ century. But as far as aerostation was concerned, it was the prerogative of one and only one person, Henri Giffard. Since the advent of balloons in 1783, countless researchers had been thinking, without success, of making airships dirigible. The first credible attempt, in 1852, was made by Henri Giffard, who used a steam engine under the envelope of his elongated balloon inflated with hydrogen... It was the first motorised aircraft in the history of mankind!A few years later, he developed a whole captive balloon system, also powered by a steam engine, a jewel of technology that was one of the main attractions at the Paris International Exhibition in 1878, the Grand ballon captif de la cour des Tuileries. The mechanical principles of this gas-powered balloon are still in use today.
ISSN:1873-7234