Historic Airship Flights

Images depicting early 20th-century airships during flights and ground preparations, capturing the fascination with aviation before World War I.

The Barton-Rawson Airship leaving Alexandra Palace, London, England in 1905 on its first and unsuccessful flight. From The Pageant of the Century, published 1934.

The Barton-Rawson Airship leaving Alexandra Palace, London, England in 1905 on its first and unsuccessful flight. From The Pageant of the Century, published 1934.

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The envelope of the army airship Beta. The airship appears to be in a quarry or forest clearing, note the women and child stood virtually level with the envelope on the righthand side of the photograph.

The airship with which Celestino Usuelli made the journey from Turin to Milan, Italy, from L'Illustrazione Italiana, Year XXXVIII, No 47, November 19, 1911.

Paris, 06/24/1908. Progress of ballooning. First departure of the new military airship balloon «Republique».

The City of Milan airship arriving at San Siro racecourse, December 21, 1913, Milan, Italy, from L'Illustrazione Italiana, Year XL, No 52, December 28, 1913.

Blimp, Zeppelin No. 3, on ground

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War Nulli Secundus II leaving the ground at the start of its maiden voyage, a large crowd is looking on and part of one of the airship sheds is visible in the background. The two poles to the left of the airship were used by Cody to fly his tethered powered kite. This was an enlarged version of the original Nulli Secundus and used the same Antoinette Engine. The airship was only operated for around two months before being scrapped.

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War DERA FARNBOROUGH (ROYAL AIRCRAFT ESTABLISHMENT). Army airship Baby I being held down by several handlers.

The airship Leonardo da Vinci with single propeller, from L'Illustrazione Italiana, Year XXXVII, No 2, January 9, 1910.

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The Lebaudy airship in flight.

R 33 Airship at Mooring Mast, Bain News Service, 1921

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The army airship Gamma coming in to land. Note the different tail arrangement on the airship.

Balloon, Bryn. .

Blimp J-4 tether (non-rigid air ship)

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War A balloon coming in to land with a small group of spectators walking over to and stood around the balloon. Note the indentation in the balloon, due to dynamic pressure of the wind.

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The Army Airship Gamma II in flight .

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The army airship Gamma in low flight approaching a group of handlers.

Airship Norge leaving to fly over North Pole

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The army airship Delta on the ground, note the Royal Ensign hanging clearly from the underside of the gasbag.

The airship designed by Enrico Forlanini on its first flight, flown by Cesare Dal Fabbro, Crescenzago, near Milan, July 22, 1909, from L'Illustrazione Italiana, Year XXXVI, No 31, August 1, 1909.

transport transportation aviaton airship Kaethe Paulus with a balloon driven like a bicycle after a sketch by Reichel 1898,

The Lebaudy Patrie, semi-rigid airship, built for the French army in Moisson, France, by sugar producers Lebaudy Freres. Designed by Henri Julliot, Lebaudy's chief engineer, the Patrie was completed in November 1906 and handed over to the military the following month. The Patrie bears the distinction of being the first airship ordered for military service by the French army.,

Italian airship in landing, Libya 1912

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The Astra Torres airship flying over a large group of handlers.

ZEPPELIN (1971), directed by ETIENNE PERIER.

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The Gamma airship at Farnborough.

Spheroid dirigible airship dropping anchor, c1887. Artist: Unknown

11/03/1908. "Torres Quevedo airship", a device invented in Guadalajara.

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The army airship Gamma touching down amongst a large crowd of civilians.

Anchoring of the British airship R 34, the first airship that accomplished a transatlantic journey, former airport Roosevelt Field, Mineola, Long Island, New York, from the magazine L'Illustrazione Italiana, year XLVI, no 31, August 3, 1919.

Cardington, England October 14, 1929The British airship R 101 at its mooring mast the morning of its initial flight over London.

Aircraft and Balloons Used by Some of the Air Pioneers Who Were Contemporary With Samuel Franklin Cody. The Astra Torres naval airship on the ground in front of the airship sheds. A large group of navy handlers are helping to position it. A number of civilians are also watching.

Wellman airship from "Trent"

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The airship Gamma about to fly over the airship sheds and the Royal Aircraft Factory.

William N. Riddle's Aerial Ship 1892

Shortly after the start. The gondola has carved by the water, the ballast has been thrown and the balloon has raised. Due to the incorrect suspension of the ballast lines, the eagle has twisted half a turn. Fraenkel is about to salvage the sails.

A"push-button system that enables pilots to air-drop tons of cargo in a few seconds has ***** designed by ***** heed Aircraft Corporation.Picture at right sows the new device the air.The device can carry up to 20 tons vehicles, weapons and supply items.It uses two aluminum alloy platforms cargo carriers.They are loaded by roller conveyor and fastened in the plane's cargo compartment.When over the selected spot, the pilot eases the platforms pushing a button his cockpit.Parachute to Ground - The button frees an "extraction parachute" which disconnects one of the two platforms from the aircraft and drags it out through the tail. September 07, 1955.

Photographic print of Henri Giffard's balloon before ascension, Tuileries, Paris. Dated 1878

01/31/1917. Ballooning in War. Ascension of an observer balloon to monitor enemy submarines. Secondly, a Hospital Ship, Toulon.

Aeronautic Machine by Otsup, Pyotr Adolfovich (1883-1963)/Russian State Film and Photo Archive, Krasnogorsk/1920s/Photograph/Russia/History

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The army airship Delta in the air a small crowd is running after it.

Flag being raised on an airship, delivery of the flag to the City of Milan airship, San Siro racecourse, December 21, 1913, Milan, Italy, from L'Illustrazione Italiana, Year XL, No 52, December 28, 1913.

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The gondola of army airship Beta, about a foot off the ground, being moved by a number of army handlers.

'Trois Zeppelins detruits en trois jours. Le "L20" dans un fjord de Norvege; En derivant, le zeppelin L20 est venu a la cote : la nacelle avant est en deux troncons', 1916. From "Collection de la Guerre IV. L'Illustration Tome CXLVII. La Guerre Janvier, Fevrier, Mars, Avril, Mai, Juin 1916".

Zodiac dirigible balloon, in flight

DIRIGIBLE (1931), directed by FRANK CAPRA.

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The naval airships Astra Torres and Willow II on the ground the large number of airship sheds and workshops at Farnborough can be seen in the background.

Lambert balloon

Engraving depicting Dr. Woelfert's airship. Dated 19th Century

Astra Torres, Airship

Balloon newer type.

Anefo photo collection. Balloon race in Utrecht, starting the English participants. June 20, 1964. Utrecht (city)

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War DERA FARNBOROUGH (ROYAL AIRCRAFT ESTABLISHMENT). The army airship Baby being pulled into the airship shed.

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The army airships Delta (on the left) and Gamma (on the right) on the ground in front of the airship sheds.

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War Nulli Secundus I leaving the airship shed at the start of its maiden voyage. Cody is in the gondola with a group of handlers keeping the airship steady. The control surfaces designed by Cody can be easily seen. Cody was responsible for the design of the nacelle and spar frame that attached the nacelle to the airship envelope and kept the latter rigid. The construction of the frame from hickory, spruce and bamboo followed similar lines to the methods used for his kites and gliders. It was in this airship that Cody and Colonel Capper of the Balloon School at Aldershot made their record breaking flight from Farnborough to London. The journey of 40 miles took three hours twenty five minutes and included circling St Paul's Cathedral. It finished at the cycle stadium next to Crystal Palace. At the time this was a world record for a non-rigid airship. Colonel Capper was instrumental in the War Office deciding to use Cody's man carrying kites and

The German airship Zeppelin takes off to reach the Arctic region, July 26, 1931, Leningrad (currently Saint Petersburg), Russia, photo by Unionbild, from L'Illustrazione Italiana, year LVIII, n 32, August 9, 1931.

The third Gordon Bennett balloon race. On the ground two half inflated balloons, a balloon that is ready for takeoff. In the foreground only dozens of uses

Engraving depicting Prosper Meller's design for a navigable airship. Dated 20th Century

The German airship Zeppelin I in Frescaty, near Metz, France, illustration from L'Illustration, No 3463, July 10, 1909.

Photographs inside of the lifestyle magazine La Vie au Grand Air; air balloons lining up for departure in the Aeropark in Saint-Cloud, France during the festival celebrating 100 years of gas.

Vintage photograph. In Western Canada, a medical air service drops emergency medical supplies since it cannot land near a patients home. They then search for a landing strip nearby

Zeppelin LZ 120 Bodensee, 1919, (1932). Creator: Unknown.

Elsevier photo collection. Seven balloons 5 countries started Utrecht competition trophy du balloon libre. start English participants. 19 June 1964. Utrecht (city)

The "Flying Bedstead": First Official Picture Britain's latest flying machine, "The Flying Bedstead" news of which was given by the Minister of Supply, Mr. Duncan Sandys on the eve of the Fargsorough Air Show, is seen here in the air during a test flight.It was no wings or rotors and can take off vertically from a horizontal position. It is powered by two Rolls-Royce "Nene" Engines set Horizontally in opposition one on Either side of the Framework. The jets from these engines are ducted through 90 degrees so that both engines discharge vertically downwards under the centre of Gravity. September 23, 1954. (Photo by Associated Press Photo).

Aviation, 1910: 'Ville de Paris', French airship (dirigible).

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War An uninflated observation balloon on the ground, several carts and horses are behind it, an almost inflated balloon is on the right hand side of the photograph. Note the high fence in the background probably built to prevent wind from hampering operations. The image is rather under exposed.

Travel photos Brazil. Airship "Count Zeppelin" (LZ 127) above the passenger ship Monte Rosa. Part view with name and Olympic rings

Historic photograph, airship, around 1925

British Naval airship

Anefo photo collection. Balloon race in Utrecht, starting the English participants. June 20, 1964. Utrecht

Engraving depicting Charles Renard and A. C. Krebs in the electric powered air-ship 'La France' flying between Calais to Meudon and Villacoublay, in 23 minutes 9th August 1884. Dated 19th Century

A large hot-air balloon is being prepared for flight. Wood engraving by Regnier Barbant after Q. Ferat. H. Scott.

Vintage race of an early powered aircraft against a racing car c1910

Balloon. .

Aviation, 1910: First attempt to descend by parachute from a balloon, 1837. Parachutist killed.

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The Baby airship at Farnborough.

Zeppelin flight. LZ120 Bodensee was a passenger-carrying airship built by Zeppelin Luftschiffbau 1919. This picture is taken on October 8 1919 when the airship lands in Stockholm on route from Berlin, a trip that would take 17 hours.

Anefo photo collection. Flight parties Eindhoven. Valve parachutes. September 15, 1956. Eindhoven

Submarine hunting - small naval dirigible, introduced by the British Navy for scouting. 1917.

The R-100 moored in Cardington, England. 1929. The R100 airship was built as part of a British government programme to develop airships to provide pas

ASCENT OF THE VAUXHALL BALLOON AND MR. COCKING'S PARACHUTE

Dirigible Early 1900's

A British airship on convoy duty : from the air it is often possible to see U-boats under the surface. This postcard is a War Bond Campaign Post Card issued in connection with the National War Savings Committee's Campaigns from material supplied by the Ministry of Information. Date: circa 1915

Gaston Tissandier (1843-1899). French aeronaut and science communicator. Albert-Charles Tissandier (1839-1906). French architect, aeronaut, publisher and archaeologist. In 1881, the Tissandier brothers made the world's first electric-powered flight at an electricity exhibition by fitting an electric Siemens motor to an airship. After their first flight experiments, they built a large-scale model which they exhibited, for which Albert drew up the plans. The first airship powered by an electric motor took place on 8 October 1883, at Auteuil, a suburb of Paris (France). A second successful attempt was made in Paris on 26 September 1884. Tissandier electric airship. Gondola and engine. Albert (on the left), Gaston (on the right), plus an unidentified man. Engraving by Bernardo Rico (1825-1894). The Spanish and American Illustration (La Ilustracion Espanola y Americana). October 15, 1884.

Berlin balloon race, 1908, first to start

Balloon of the K.U.K. Airfahrruppe.30.8.17. .

Lebaudy's 'Republique' flies low past the Tour Eiffel, Paris. Date: 1908

James Sadler setting off on the proposed first crossing of the Irish Sea from Dublin by balloon, 1812. Watercolour.

Balloon of Testu-Brissy, Pierre Testu-Brissy, 1770 - 1829, was a pioneer of balloon flight, France / Ballon von Testu-Brissy, Pierre Testu-Brissy, 1770 - 1829, war ein Pionier der Ballonfahrt,, Frankreich, Historisch, historical, digital improved reproduction of an original from the 19th century / digitale Reproduktion einer Originalvorlage aus dem 19. Jahrhundert,.

Balloon race leaving from Ranelagh Club, London, July 1906, United Kingdom, from L'Illustrazione Italiana, Year XXXIV, No 1, January 6, 1907.

Vintage Photograph. Two Hot Air Balloons.

The Republique airship disaster, France, illustration by Georges Scott from L'Illustration, No 3475, October 2, 1909.

S.A. Andrées FriboLong "Eagle" Sales from Danish Island at Spitbergen on July 11, 1897.

Biplane by Herring, woodcut, 1888, historic engraving

Railing of Nadars Air balloon from site at Palace for Volksvlijt Amsterdam, September 14, 1865 ..

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The airship Nulli Secundus I circling St Paul's cathedral during the record breaking flight from Farnborough to London made by Cody and Lieutenant Colonel Capper of the Balloon School at Aldershot. The journey of 40 miles took three hours twenty five minutes and included circling St Paul's Cathedral. It finished at the cycle stadium next to Crystal Palace. At the time this was a world record for a non-rigid airship. Cody was responsible for the design of the nacelle and spar frame that attached the nacelle to the airship envelope and kept the latter rigid. The construction of the frame from hickory, spruce and bamboo followed similar lines to the methods used for his kites and gliders. Colonel Capper was instrumental in the War Office deciding to use Cody's man carrying kites and appointing him as instructor. After this their relationship soured, due partly to Capper's bias towards airships rather than aeroplanes and his support of a rival

Germany. Aerostation flight test with an aluminum airship, held at Tempelhof, near Berlin, on November 3, 1897. David Schwarz (1850-1897) designed and built it. The airship was 134 feet long and 46 feet high. The test did not give the expected results, although the ship reached an altitude of 400 meters, it crashed. Engraving by Matute. Later colouration. La Ilustración Española y Americana, 1898.

Wellman's airship "America" viewed from the RMS "Trenet"

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