Airships past and present, together with chapters on the use of balloons in connection with meteorology, photography and the carrier pigeon . He subsequentlyinvented the injector for steam boilers, and was already wellknown in the aeronautical world, having made ascents with Eugene Godard. In1851 he succeeded inmaking a small steamengine of 5 , whichonly weighed 100 lbs.,and thought it might beuseful in connectionwith balloon work. Withthe help of two of hisfriends, he built an air-ship, which was some-what of the shape of acigar with pointed was 144 ft. long,40 ft. in diameter at
Airships past and present, together with chapters on the use of balloons in connection with meteorology, photography and the carrier pigeon . He subsequentlyinvented the injector for steam boilers, and was already wellknown in the aeronautical world, having made ascents with Eugene Godard. In1851 he succeeded inmaking a small steamengine of 5 , whichonly weighed 100 lbs.,and thought it might beuseful in connectionwith balloon work. Withthe help of two of hisfriends, he built an air-ship, which was some-what of the shape of acigar with pointed was 144 ft. long,40 ft. in diameter at thethickest part, and itscapacity was 88,000cubic feet. The envelopewas covered with a net,and a heavy pole, 66 ft. long, was carried below, being suspendedin a horizontal position by means of ropes which connected it tothe net. At the end of this keel, as Giffard called it, the rudderwas placed, which took the form of a triangular sail. The carwas carried below the pole at a distance of 20 ft., and containedthe motor and propellers. The 3 motor together with itsboiler weighed 350 lbs., and drove a three-bladed propeller, 11 Fig. 22. -Giffards dirigible balloon, made in1852. THE HISTOEY OF THE DIRIGIBLE BALLOON. 49 in diameter, at the rate of 110 revolutions per minute. The totalweight of the balloon, together with that of one passenger,amounted to H ton, and it was reckoned that, when filled withgas, it could carry \ ton of coal and water. In the light ofsubsequent experience it is evident that the weight of the steamengine was too great, having regard to the effect which it wasable to produce. Giffard himself saw this, but calculated thathe would be able to attain a speed of 6 or 8 ft. a second. On oneoccasion this result was actually produced. We must now examine the question of speed, and ascertain itsvalue under ordinary working conditions. In other words, wemust find out what speed it is reasonable to expect from a balloonthat is to be used on and off the whole
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