Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-10-06
BALLOON STEERING.

The success in ballooning obtained in
Paris excites great interest all over the
world, and everybody wants to know exact
ly what has been done. n. Renard and II i.
krebs have not yet supplied full informa-
ton, but . paper read by II. Herve Mangon
enables US to lay before our readers some in
teresting details. Hitherto a great OBJ
stacle in the way of the balloon guiders and
high flyers has been the great weight of any
apparatus that could be employed as 3
source Of power. NM. Renard and Krebs
avaiied themselves of calculations made by
! II. Dupuy dc LONE for The construction of
| his aerostat in 1902, besides which there
is some new and unexplained invention in
The electric apparatus. The special things
aimed a are described as--1, control Of the
balloons course by giving it the right shape
and an effective rlldder; =, diminution ofre.
sistance BY choice Of lis dimensions; 8, ap.
Proclamation of the centres OF traction and
resistance 10 lessen vertical instability. |
This Will be understood Ey our engineer
ing ANA scientific readers. In plain |
English, IL means that the swinging of !
the pear shaped balloons must be |
avoided, and that the motive power must |
be applied exactly where it is most re- |
quircd-namely, where the resistance of the |
air Is greatest, II matter depending on the |
form OF tho balloon. Lastly, the inventors
sought to obtain, and think they have OBJ
tanned. motive power capable Of resisting
the usual force OF the winds for three |
quarters OF the year. The resistance of the
air to- oaiioon is Of the same sort as that of |
water to Il ship, allowing for the difference
OF weight between the atmospheric gases
and the heavierfluid. Keeping this in view.
( IA in yeptnr. 40 Inpl nj ,b,t |
their air ship velocity OF from 2G to 30 feet
per second e five horse power would be
necessary in actual use, and, to allow for
losses. one OF about double power must be
provided. This was done, and the electric
engine worked screw. On the 9th of
August they found their balloon had an
ascensonal force of 1000 kilogrammes-
about IS! cwt. At O'Clock in the afternoon g..
of the 9TH, Ill calm weather, the balloon /
n, ion the machincy was rru l.ai a slight
the pace was increased and the rudder :
obeyed. AT first the direction {
was from north to south, but this was ,
changed to keep clear of trees. After a
it!le while it was decided to return, and
The haSo% To- rather wi;s mnaa noit to SKh" SKah yards
Another change in direction was easily
made and the balloon movcd on about ore
yards below lis original c"nFse'
the descent being caused by moving inc
s,opcock. Backward and forward move
ments were made to reach !; Sood spot lor
the final lauding, aud IN" voyage ended
safely after traversiuS about io'r mics III
twenty three minutes. Whas seems uelnon-
strated by this experience is that Oh a calm
day il is possible TO move and steer an ar
shin with !: screw propeller, worked by
el,c,rici,y. and that after loading the vessel
with All the things necessary for its naviga-
tion u sinai! surplus of floating power Is lett
for the carriage of two persons. Even II no
further progress should be made, this Is an
imDortant advance in the science Of aeroSta-
tior, and might, under some circumstances,
be 0! practical value. There is y great diileI-
enc. between a mild breeze and strong
one. and. Of course. still greater between
tj,r airs aud storms a wind moving at
about five miles an hour causes pressure
of about eight ounces per square LOOT aI
fourteen miles III hour it Is doubled, ana at |
five aud twenty miles an hour IL reaches
rather over three pounds square loot Inc |
pressure varies rs the square OF the velocl-
~ and. in storms, would he beyond any |
possibility Of balloon control. Besides as
certaining whether the motive and steering
mowers Of the present air ship will suffice
on breezy DAYS, it reluaips to be seen Whetn-
er s,,ch vessels could be made workable on
larger scale, and with more carrying pow
er. Let us hope that the further trials may
be made on scientific principles, aud that
the invention may not, like those connect
ed with electric lighting, be made the sub
iect of stock exchange swindling. Keeping
air ships may become as fashionable as
steam launches, and the four in hand clubs
may pale before them. For many purposes
Of Industry and science the cigar like OBJ
iects may be set flying like larks III the SKY
and war will no doubt press them into Its
service, though We may justly hope to escape
the horror of s'navies graphing in the ethe-
rial blue"
| nunrnn Snllin Strattnn living near