Lebaudy Patrie The Lebaudy " Patrie " was a semi - rigid airship built for the French army in Moisson , France , by sugar producers Lebaudy Frères . 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 . In 1907 , from her base at Chalais - Meudon near Paris , a successful series of military manoeuvres was conducted with the airship by the military command , which included a visit by France ' s President of the Council Georges Clemenceau . Following the successful completion of these operations , in November 1907 the " Patrie " was transferred under her own power to her operational base at Verdun , near the German border . Due to a mechanical fault , the " Patrie " became stranded away from her base on 29 November 1907 in Souhesmes . During a storm on 30 November she was torn loose from her temporary moorings and , despite the efforts of some 200 soldiers who tried to restrain her , she was carried away by the high winds and lost from sight . Had the rope to the emergency gas - release system been attached , her loss could possibly have been avoided . After crossing the English Channel and passing unseen through English airspace during the night , the " Patrie " was sighted over Wales and Ireland on 1 December . She made a brief landfall near Belfast , before rising again to be blown out over the Atlantic Ocean . Following a sighting from a steamship off the Hebrides , she was lost without a trace . Despite the loss of the " Patrie " , Lebaudy went on to complete a sister - ship to the " Patrie " , the " République " , for the French Army . Additionally , several airships of a similar design to the " Patrie " were ordered and delivered to export customers , these included the Russian Empire and Austro - Hungarian Empire . Development . The military uses of airships at the time were considered to be the dropping of bombs ( from an altitude at which they were deemed to be out of range of ground - based weapons ) and reconnaissance . M . Julliot , the designer of the " Patrie " , stated that " each of the French ships can carry thirty , and on short journeys , even fifty torpedoes of 10 kilogrammes ( 22 lb ) each . " For reconnaissance purposes the " Patrie " was equipped with " a mounting for a telephotographic apparatus , and for a 100 - candlepower acetylene searchlight " . A contemporary author related that " from a height of the " Patrie " observed the smallest movements of formed bodies of troops at the Satory camp and obtained very clear telephotographs of them . " Semi - rigid airship s were considered more suitable for military use because , unlike rigid airship s , they could be deflated , stored and transported by land or by sea . The " Patrie " was a semi - rigid airship manufactured by the French sugar magnates Paul and Pierre Lebaudy and designed by their chief engineer , Henri Julliot . She was the second Lebaudy airship , and " surpassed her predecessor in both size and method of construction " . The company ' s first airship , simply known as the " Lebaudy " , and dubbed by the French public " " Le Jaune " " ( " The Yellow ( One ) " ) because of the yellow colour of the lead chromate paint on its cloth exterior , was considered the most successful airship then in operation . Design . Overview . The main structural components of the " Patrie " , like those of its predecessor , were the envelope ( or " gas - bag " ) , a nickel - steel frame or keel , and a gondola suspended from the frame on steel cables . Contained within the envelope was a ballonet , the function of which was to ensure that sufficient gas pressure was maintained in the envelope at all times , irrespective of the degree of expansion or contraction of the lifting gas . Attached to both the gas - bag and the gondola were active and passive control surfaces to provide lateral and vertical stability and to give the pilot directional control over the airship . The gondola , constructed of nickel - steel tubing , was suspended some below an elliptical steel frame ( or keel ) attached to the bottom of the gas - bag , under the centre of lift . Between the frame and the envelope and linking the two was a small hemp net . The net was attached by wooden toggles to a canvas band sewn directly onto the envelope , and the frame was attached to the net by further toggles . This permitted the easy removal of the frame from the envelope . The frame itself could also be dismantled for ease of transport . The open gondola offered the crew and passengers little protection from the elements . It was common for there to have been two pilots , two engineers and two passengers on board during test flights and military missions . Ballast , in the form of 10 - and 20 - pound ( 4 . 5 and 9 . 1 kg ) bags of sand , could be jettisoned through a pipe set into the floor of the gondola . Other equipment included " a ' siren ' speaking trumpet , carrier pigeon s , iron pins , ropes for anchoring the airship , a reserve supply of fuel and water , and a fire extinguisher " . Envelope and ballonet . The " Patrie " ' s envelope was composed of four alternating layers of cotton cloth and vulcanised rubber ( the envelope of its predecessor , the " Jaune " , comprised three layers ) . The outside layer was of cotton cloth , covered with lead chromate to prevent the actinic components of sunlight from destroying the rubber skin which formed the second layer . This second layer prevented leakage of the hydrogen lifting gas from the envelope . The third layer was of cotton , which was protected by the rubber fourth and final layer from damage caused by the hydrogen . This final rubber layer was thinner , and therefore lighter , than the first . The rubber sheeting for the second and fourth layers was supplied by the German company Continental AG . The lead chromate gave the envelope the same mustard - yellow colour as its precessor , " Le Jaune " ; the remaining surfaces were coloured sky - blue , as is evident in a contemporary artist ' s impression of the " Patrie " . The " Patrie " ' s design as a semi - rigid airship required that the pressure of both the lifting gas in the gas - bag and the air in the ballonet be sufficient to maintain the airship ' s overall shape . Sufficient hydrogen was pumped into the gas - bag to enable the airship to ascend to its intended maximum operating altitude of , at which height the ballonet would occupy approximately one - fifth of the total gas - bag volume . Descent was made by releasing hydrogen from the gas - bag and then pumping air into the ballonet to take up the volume of the released gas , a process which was repeated incrementally until the desired rate of descent or altitude had been achieved . To control the movement of the hydrogen and air within the envelope , the " Patrie " was equipped with five valve s , some of which operated automatically , and others which could also be operated manually by the pilot via cords . The valves on the gas - bag released hydrogen automatically when the pressure exceeded two inches of water ( inAq ) ( 500 Pa , 0 . 723 psi ) ; whereas the ballonet valves opened when the air pressure exceeded 0 . 78 inAq ( 195 Pa , 0 . 282 psi ) , thus ensuring that air was driven out of the ballonet before there was any loss of hydrogen from the gas - bag . The automatic operation of the valves was a factor in the duration of its final ( unmanned ) flight ( see " Final flight " section below ) . The pressure in the ballonet was maintained by an engine - driven fan , for which an electrical back - up was provided so that the pressures could be maintained in the event of an engine failure or when the engine had to be switched off for maintenance purposes . A release mechamism was provided on the gas - bag , such that , in an emergency , a pull on the attached rope would release hydrogen from the gas - bag . This rope was attached to ballast , so that it would also be activated automatically in the case of a catastrophic loss of ballast . Failure to attach this rope was to play a pivotal role in the loss of the " Patrie " . Since a partially filled ballonet would cause longitudinal instability , due to the mass of air rolling fore or aft in the direction of pitch , two cloth partitions were used to divide the ballonet into three separate compartments ; small holes in the partitions allowed the air to permeate gradually throughout the ballonet without affecting the stability of the airship . Steering and propulsion . Directional stability was achieved by four fixed vanes , two vertical and two horizontal , attached at the rear of the gas - bag , and by a long vertical vane running along the main axis of the gas - bag from the centre of the elliptical frame to its rear . Horizontal motion was controlled by the movement of a balanced rudder at the rear of an empennage on a long boom , mounted below the gas - bag and aft of the gondola ( see lead image ) . The empennage consisted of vertical and horizontal vanes arranged like the fletching of an arrow , behind which the vertical rudder was mounted . During a refit in 1907 the vertical vanes of the empennage were modified , as is shown in the accompanying illustration . During trials it was decided that a greater degree of control over vertical motion was required , which would also allow the pilot to compensate for " involuntary rising or falling of the airship due to expansion or contraction of the gas , or to other causes " . For this purpose a movable horizontal plane was installed above the car and near the centre of gravity , which resulted in the loss of gas and ballast being reduced to a minimum . At a later date this single plane was replaced by two movable planes mounted either side of and above the gondola , attached to the bottom of the elliptical frame , as shown in the plan view published in the German " Jahrbuch der Luftfahrt " ( " Aviation Yearbook " ) in 1911 . These " ailerons d ' ascension et de descente " as they were referred to at the time , are clearly visible in the still photograph taken from the short film " Decollage d ' un ballon dirigeable " ( " The Take - off of a Dirigible Balloon " ) , made in Moisson by the pioneering French film - maker Alice Guy - Blaché before her emigration to the United States in March 1907 . The pilot operated the controls at the bows of the gondola , forward of the engine , while the engineer controlled the engine from his position at the stern . A 52 - kilowatt ( 70 hp ) Panhard et Levassor four - cylinder engine running at 1 , 000 rpm , mounted centrally in the gondola , drove two 2 . 6 - metre ( 8 . 5 ft ) diameter , two - bladed steel propellers that were mounted on cantilever arms , one on each side , rotating at 1 , 000 – 1 , 200 rpm in opposite directions to prevent torque forces from twisting the airship . The exhaust pipe , below the rear of the gondola , was covered with metal gauze and pointed downwards to minimise the fire risk . The fuel tank , with a capacity in excess of 280 L ( 61 . 6 gal ) , was housed below the gondola within a pyramid of steel tubing that was designed to protect the gondola and the propellers during landing . Operational history . November – December 1906 . The first flight of the " Patrie " took place on 16 November 1906 , at Lebaudy ' s Moisson headquarters , lasting 2 hours and 20 mins . After eight further test flights from Moisson , the " Patrie " flew the from Moisson to the French Aeronautical Department ' s centre at Chalais - Meudon near Paris on 15 December 1906 at an estimated speed in excess of 45 km / h ( 28 . 1 mph ) . A public relations flight over the centre of Paris was undertaken on 17 December 1906 , passing over the Arc de Triomphe , the Place de la Concorde , the War Ministry buildings and Les Invalides . Following this flight , " Patrie " was deflated until flights resumed in June 1907 . June – November 1907 . During the summer of 1907 , 21 further flights were undertaken between 27 June and 7 August , including one on 22 July 1907 in which the President of the Council ( Prime Minister ) Georges Clemenceau , and the Minister of War Georges Picquart were passengers . Although a pipe became detached , showering the Premier with hot water , he reacted nonchalantly , saying " I cannot sufficiently express my admiration for this wonderful contrivance " . The " Patrie " was then deflated for alterations that included the addition of a 500 cubic metre ( 17 , 660 ft³ ) cylindrical section to the gas - bag , a change to the empennage ( as mentioned above ) and provision of new propellers . The " Patrie " was reinflated and made ready for operational duty on 15 October 1907 . Nine flights , totalling 18 hours , were undertaken from Chalais - Meudon between 21 October and 16 November , during one of which the left propeller was lost , causing the " Patrie " to ascend rapidly into the low clouds before returning safely but slowly to Chalais - Meudon under her own power . On 23 November 1907 , the " Patrie " was flown to her operational base at Belleville - sur - Meuse near Verdun , close to the Franco - German border , a journey of 240 km ( 149 mi ) in 6 hours 45 minutes , at an average speed of 36 km / h ( 22 mph ) and a height of . Final flight . While based at Verdun , the " Patrie " was stranded on Friday , 29 November 1907 , at nearby Souhesmes due to a mechanical problem caused by the clothing of one of the mechanics becoming caught in the distributor drive gear . On - the - spot repairs were made but the lack of a spare magneto on board meant that the motor could not be used for the return flight . The decision was made not to drag the airship back to Verdun but to tether her overnight in the open at Souhesmes . During that night , a storm blew up and approximately 200 soldiers were assigned to the task of restraining the airship in the gale - force winds . On Saturday morning , the wind was strong enough to pull some of the iron pickets anchoring the airship out of the ground so that she swung broadside to the wind , causing her to tip on her side , which in turn caused sacks of ballast to be released . Even then the " Patrie " could have been saved ; had the release cord been attached to the gas - bag , a single tug on the cord would have been enough to release the hydrogen and save the ship . An oversight led to this not being done , the troops were unable to keep control her and thus could not continue to hold her down in the storm . Relieved of her ballast of and without a crew , she shot up to a great height ( calculated by the constructor to have been some ) , and was carried away in a north - westerly direction . Two days later there was still no news . In 2007 , the French newspaper " Journal l ' Alsace / Le Pays " reprinted a news item from 5 December 1907 , which spoke of the " anxiety " caused in Paris by this " disaster " . It was feared that the " Patrie " could have risen into an eastward air current , crossed the nearby Franco - German border and fallen into " Prussian " hands , so news reports of her whereabouts were eagerly awaited . Finally news of sightings filtered back to France and spread around Europe and the United States . As was reported in " The New York Times " the following day , the " Patrie " had been observed on the morning of Sunday , 1 December 1907 , over Cardigan ( Wales ) . On the afternoon of the same day she made landfall at Ballysallagh , near Holywood , County Down in northern Ireland , where a propeller and bevel gear assembly were broken off ( see photo ) . With the loss of this weight the " Patrie " once more ascended and was spotted by a Lloyd ' s signal station at Torr Head on the Antrim coast . The next sighting came soon after , over islands in St . Patrick ' s Channel , between Ireland and Scotland . The " Patrie " continued northwards , where the last sighting was reported by Captain Buchanan of the steamship " Olivine " at latitude 58°N near the Hebrides , after which she was lost without a trace . Aftermath . Despite the loss of the " Patrie " , the French army did not lose faith in the Lebaudy / Julliot design : A sister - ship to the " Patrie " , the " République " , was already under construction at Lebaudy ' s Moisson works , and another airship of the same type ( " La Liberté " ) was ordered in August 1908 . In addition , two more airships of essentially the same design were ordered by the Russian Empire and the Austro - Hungarian Empire . The former , initially called " La Russie " and later known as " Lebed " , reportedly " an absolute copy of the French ' République ' " , flew for the first time in 29 May 1909 . The inaugural flight of " Lebed " was hailed by Russia as a significant step forward in its aviation history . In its June 26 , 1909 issue , " Flight " Magazine reported that the Austrian Government had ordered from Lebaudy " what appears to be a duplicate of the " Russie " . This airship entered service with the Austrian Army in 1910 . Specifications .