 thumb thumb|right|the giffard dirigible, created by giffard in 1852 thumb|right|a- steam from boiler, b- needle valve, c- needle valve handle, d- steam and water combine, e-water feed, f- combining cone, g- delivery nozzle and cone, h- delivery chamber and pipe, k- check valve henri giffard (8 february 182514 april 1882) was a french engineer. in 1852, he invented the steam injector and the powered airship. ==career== baptiste henri jacques giffard was born in paris in 1825. he invented the injector and the giffard dirigible, an airship powered with a steam engine, and weighing over 180&nbsp;kg (400&nbsp;lb); it was the world's first passenger-carrying airship (then known as a dirigible). both practical and steerable, the hydrogen-filled airship was equipped with a 3&nbsp;hp steam engine that drove a propeller. the engine was fitted with a downward-pointing funnel. the exhaust steam was mixed in with the combustion gases and it was hoped by these means to stop sparks rising up to the gas bag; he also installed a vertical rudder. on 24 september 1852 giffard made the first powered and controlled flight travelling 27&nbsp;km from paris to trappes. the wind was too strong to allow him to make way against it, so he was unable to return to the start. however, he was able to make turns and circles, proving that a powered airship could be steered and controlled. giffard was granted a patent for the injector on 8 may 1858. unusually, he had thoroughly worked out the theory of this invention before making any experimental instrument, having explained the idea in 1850. others had worked on using jets, particularly bourdon who patented a very similar device in 1857. in 1863 he was appointed a chevalier of the lÃ©gion d'honneur. ==death and commemoration== in response to his declining eyesight, giffard committed suicide in 1882, leaving his estate to the nation for humanitarian and scientific purposes. his name is one of the 72 names on the eiffel tower. ==gallery== file:captive balloon of henri giffard over paris 1878.jpg|balloon of henri giffard over paris rooftops, 1878. file:giffardairship.jpg|a model of the giffard airship at the london science museum. file:ballooning bronze medal paris 1878 giffard..jpg|medal of giffard's balloon over paris in 1878. ==see also== * list of firsts in aviation ==references== {{reflist|refs= {{citation|last1=day|first1=lance|last2=mcneil|first2=ian|title=biographical dictionary of the history of technology|url=http://books.google.com/?id=uuigwmlvrimc&pg=pa286&lpg=pa286|accessdate=j
1825_births 1882_deaths Airship_aviators Burials_at_PA"re_Lachaise_Cemetery Chevaliers_of_the_LA(c)gion_d\'honneur French_balloonists French_mechanical_engineers Inventors_who_committed_suicide People_from_Paris Steam-powered_aircraft