La_France_(airship)
La France (airship)
Early French dirigible
The La France was a French Army non-rigid airship launched by Charles Renard and Arthur Constantin Krebs on August 9, 1884. Collaborating with Charles Renard, Arthur Constantin Krebs piloted the first fully controlled free-flight with the La France. The 170-foot (52 m) long, 66,000-cubic-foot (1,900 m3) airship, electric-powered with a 435 kg (959 lb) zinc-chlorine flow battery[1] completed a flight that covered 8 km (5.0 mi) in 23 minutes.[2] It was the first full round trip flight[3] with a landing on the starting point. On its seven flights in 1884 and 1885[4] the La France dirigible returned five times to its starting point.[5][6]