An exploration of the history and development of the dirigible airship from its humble beginnings in the late eighteenth century through to its current role as military command posts among other uses.
Starting out as an unreliable experimental aircraft whilst aeronauts first began to learn the secrets of aerial navigation, the airship was remodelled in 1900 by Count Zeppelin to become a potent weapon of war. It was then transformed again into a short-lived solution to long-distance passenger air travel. With over 100 technical drawings and contemporary images of dirigible aircraft, Ridley-Kitts presents a comprehensive and fascinating history of the airship.
Military, Naval and Civil Airships is a must read for those that wish to delve into the development of the aircraft for the first time and for airship specialists alike.
This book traces the development of the airship, relating the struggles of the early pioneers, from the Montgolfier brothers, and the parallel of the hydrogen balloon. Throughout the nineteenth century, 'Aeronauts' learnt the skill of aerial navigation, making lost distance flights in an unfamiliar element. Attempts were made to control the direction of the flight, first by the use of steam, then utilising electrical power, and finally the petrol engine. From 1900, Count Zeppelin developed the rigid airship from a faltering experimental craft into a potent war weapon. Between the wars it appeared that the giant passenger-carrying airships offered the solution to long distance air travel, but this dream proved illusory. In the present age, airships are again being considered for new uses including airborne military command posts and geostationary unmanne 'Aerostats' harvesting the power of the 'Jetstream' to provide an unlimited supply of electrical power for the planet.
