La France (airship)

The La France was a French Army non-rigid airship launched by Charles Renard and Arthur Constantin Krebs on August 9, 1884. Collaborating with Charles Renard, Arthur Constantin Krebs piloted the first fully controlled free-flight with the La France. The 170-foot (52 m) long, 66,000-cubic-foot (1,900 m3) airship, electric-powered with a 435 kg (959 lb) zinc-chlorine flow battery[1] completed a flight that covered 8 km (5.0 mi) in 23 minutes. It was the first full round trip flight[2] with a landing on the starting point. On its seven flights in 1884 and 1885[3] the La France dirigible returned five times to its starting point.

The 1884 La France, the first fully controllable airship.
Artist's depiction of La France

Hangar
Hangar Y, Chalais-Meudon near Paris, France 2002

The La France was constructed in Hangar "Y" at Chalais-Meudon near Paris in 1879. Hangar "Y" is one of the few remaining airship hangars in Europe.

See also

References
  1. Winter, Lumen & Degner, Glenn, Minute Epics of Flight, New York, Grosset & Dunlap, 1933, pgs. 49–50
  2. "Le Ballon dirigeable LA FRANCE de Renard et Krebs – 1884". Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  3. "Ballon dirigeable LA FRANCE : Plans, croquis et photos". Retrieved 7 October 2014.
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