During Greek times a great mathematician, Archimedes discovered the principle of buoyancy. This fact helped in the progress of true flight. When the great libraries in Alexandria, Egypt were destroyed in 500 A.D. the discoveries of Archimedes and many others were lost for a thousand years. 2000 years later men used Archimedes' principle to help them with the hot-air-balloon.

One of these men, an Englishman, Roger Bacon made a flying machine that was a balloon shape. He wrote about his invention in the book The Wonderful Power of Art and Nature in 1250, but it wasn't until 1542 that his book was published. The dawning of the Renaissance in 15th century Italy brought a renewed interest in the arts and sciences. The invention of movable type by Gutenberg in 1455 increased the communication of new ideas. In 1648 John Wilkins, a member of the Royal Society of London, was able to bring forth the scientific principles of Roger Bacon.

But it was 2 Frenchmen, the Montgolfier's brothers who flew a hot-air-balloon many years later in 1783. Their flight is named the first manned lighter-than-air flight. The people watching the sight were so shocked that there was a great quiet as they observed this happening. Practical air travel had begun. Charles, a member of the French Academy of Sciences, made a flight in a balloon filled with hydrogen instead of hot air (which is quite dangerous). The Charles balloon got up to 3000 feet and traveled about 16 miles in 45 minutes. It was a successful flight, but inspired fear. A village man stuck his knife into the balloon. But others saw the value of the flight. Benjamin Franklin from America helped finance the Charles flight. Soon the balloon craze broke out across Europe.

The restrictions of balloon flight were clear. For many years other men built hot-air-balloons and flew them. But there was no ability to power or control the balloons. These problems needed to be looked at because the wind alone made the flight pattern. The shortcomings of the balloon were recognized as quickly as its success. So many studied to improve the ability of the balloon. Then a new Frenchman, Henri Gifford flew a balloon that moved with steam. This was a great thing. It moved at an average speed of 6.7 mph. The first really controllable airship that could be steered back to its starting point regardless of the wind was built by Charles Renard and A.C. Krebs in 1884.

50 years later a German man, Zeppelin used an engine to fly balloons. These became very famous. They flew 18 mph and had a rigid metal frame that kept it in flight even if gas or power was lost. The Zeppelin design was copied and improved by others throughout the world. One such airship was 3 times larger than a Boeing 747 and cruised at 68 mph. It made regular flights from Europe to South America in which 24 people had their own suites and dined from menus prepared by famous chefs.

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Last modified: Wed Oct 15 20:29:07 PDT 1997

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