America (airship)

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The America was an American airship built in France in 1906 . It undertook the first powered flight in the Arctic , was redesigned several times and achieved several aviation records.

America's start on Danskøya , 1907

history

The American journalist Walter Wellman had already tried his hand at polar exploration at the end of the 19th century . On December 31, 1905, he announced the Wellman Chicago Record Herald Polar Expedition , during which he wanted to be the first person to reach the North Pole. An airship to be built in France was to serve as the means of transport. After consulting with numerous greats in the French airship scene, Wellman had his airship built by Louis Godard on the Champ de Mars in Paris . The theoretical performance data were derived from those of the La France and Lebaudy .

Polar cruises

The parts of America , completed in May 1906, were shipped from Paris via Antwerp and Tromsø to the island of Danskøya near Spitsbergen . At Virgohamna, Wellman only built a hangar in his “Camp Wellman” ▼ and tested the engines by the end of August . Andrée's balloon flight began in the same place in 1897 . The airship was not filled with gas because the engines and propellers turned out to be unsuitable during test runs. According to another source, Wellman was having trouble getting enough hydrogen gas in time .

America's balloon was brought back to Paris and filled with town gas for the first time in the Galerie des Machines . Henri Julliot, the designer of the Lebaudy , insisted on a total of 15 months to build and test a new airship. So Wellman finally had his old America converted into a keel airship according to Melvin Vaniman's plans . Vaniman had taken panoramic shots from a tethered balloon as a photographer and had flight experience. He was part of the regular crew of the airship alongside Wellman from then on.

On September 2, 1907, America took off from Danskøya for the first airship voyage in the Arctic. After two hours, a snow storm forced her to make an emergency landing on the Fuglepyntbreen glacier on the main island of Svalbard. The airship was badly damaged. The America was transported to Paris for repair and refitting. Since Wellman had professional duties as a political journalist in the presidential election year 1908, he did not attempt a new voyage of his airship that year.

On August 15, 1909, the America took off again with a crew of four on Danskøya. After 50 kilometers, the 550 kg ballast train tore off just below the gondola at the edge of the pack ice . Wellman had to release hydrogen gas to compensate for buoyancy and broke off the journey. The ship Farm tried to tow the airship back to Danskøya on a rope. After the crew and sled dogs transferred to the ship, the America broke loose and rose to around 2,000 m above sea level, where the balloon envelope burst. The remains of the airship were recovered and, with the exception of the destroyed gondola, brought to America .

Atlantic crossing

Melvin Vaniman with Kiddo on board the Trent

On October 15, 1910, the restored America took off with a six-man crew and a cat in Atlantic City for the first Atlantic crossing in the air. The stray kiddo , who was taken on board as a mascot during the preparation for the start, caused a stir after the start. The attempt to deliver the animal to a motorboat prompted the first radio message from on board an aircraft: “Roy, come and get this goddam cat!” (like, "Roy, come and get that goddamn cat"). However, Vaniman failed to rappel the sacked kitten down to the boat.

One engine failed completely after a few hours and the other was only kept in reserve because of its overheating exhaust. Much of the fuel was drained and parts of the defective eight-cylinder engine were thrown overboard. Due to an operator error, the airship rose briefly to a height of around 900 m. Hydrogen gas had to be released to compensate. After a good 70 hours, the journey was canceled. The airship crew with Kiddo and their lifeboat were taken aboard the steamship Trent 644 kilometers east of Cape Hatteras and brought to New York . The America flew valves open it.

Kiddo would have been the first cat to cross the Atlantic by air and was subsequently shown to the public in the Gimbels department store . She spent the rest of her life with Wellman's daughter Edith.

With their voyage, America set records for the longest duration of an airship journey with 71.5 hours and 1008 miles. The America sent the first message and later the first emergency of an aircraft.

The rescued lifeboat was used again on Akron, which was also designed by Vaniman in 1911 . After it crashed, it was recovered and given to Goodyear , the manufacturer of Akron . In 2010, the boat was donated to the National Air and Space Museum .

description

America , built by Louis Godard, was later rebuilt several times according to Melvin Vaniman's plans. The actual construction of the airship and its uses differed significantly from Wellman's announcements in newspaper articles.

On delivery in 1906

When it was delivered, the airship was 50.3 m long and had a volume of 6,350 m 3 with a diameter of 16 m . The balloon envelope consisted of three layers each coated with rubber on the outside, the innermost one was made of silk, the other two consisted of cotton fabric. The outer rubber layer should repel moisture and icing. The shell let through only 90 kg of hydrogen per day. The nacelle was a steel-reinforced wooden structure 30 feet long and five feet wide that was intended to support the crew and engines. A tent-like roof protected from wind and weather. Supplies and fuel hung in a basket under the gondola. The airship had two engines. A 275 kg heavier 50 to 60 hp Clément -Motor drive the front of the nacelle a fabric-covered wooden propeller diameter of 5.70 m with 260 min -1 and should be able to be operated with hydrogen. A second 130 kg of heavy about 25 hp gasoline motor driving a propeller of 4.50 m in diameter at the rear end of the nacelle 285 min -1 . The intended speed of the airship with both engines was 30 km / h, the maximum flight time 120 hours. There was space for 75 days of provisions on board.

Polar journey 1907

For her polar voyage in 1907, the America was extended to 56.4 m according to plans by Vaniman. This increased their volume to 7,800 m 3 . Vaniman designed a new 115 feet long and 12 feet wide, oiled-silk-clad gondola made of wooden struts between three long steel tubes, the lower of which served as a fuel tank. A single Lorraine-Dietrich engine developed 80 hp. He drove two steel propellers, each 11 feet in diameter. On board were sleds, ten sled dogs and provisions for 10 months. A portion thereof in a hung as a towline 40 m long, with steel-reinforced hose leather with 18 cm diameter at the nacelle and was partially dragged on the ground or in the water. This should serve as both ballast and height stabilizer. A similar hose, but with hooks, was kept ready on board to slow down the airship. The fuel should be enough for 120 hours of driving at 30 km / h.

Polar journey 1909

Before the polar voyage in 1909, the America was extended again to now 70 m. Their volume was now 9,200 m 3 . Two new 80 to 90 hp engines each were to take turns in operation. A Lorraine-Dietrich four-cylinder car engine propelled a pair of wooden propellers 12 feet in diameter mounted on either side of the nacelle at 500 min −1 . A ENV -Achtzylinder driving another pair of propeller of 10.5 feet in diameter at 750 min -1 . The propellers could be pivoted vertically.

Atlantic crossing 1910

The America 1910

For her Atlantic crossing in 1910, the America was rebuilt and equipped with a radio system and a lifeboat. Vaniman designed a tubular steel structure 156 feet long and 8 feet wide that contained fuel tanks and carried the actual nacelle. Eighty steel cables were attached to a strip of fabric sewn into the balloon envelope about ten feet below center. Suspended from them was a V-shaped structure made of 156-foot steel tubes that could hold 1,500 gallons of fuel in ten chambers . 188 hemp ropes hung from it, which carried the suspension of the gondola.

The two engines recovered after the crash in 1909 were supposed to alternate in operation. The reserve of four tons of fuel and oil would have allowed almost 200 hours of driving at 29 km / h. A 10 to 12 HP auxiliary motor drove the ballonet fan, helped start the engines and served as a power generator for the lighting and the 250 watt Marconi two-way radio. This used the steel frame of the nacelle as an antenna and the ballast train as grounding. The morse radio operator was an employee of the Marconi company.

A 27-foot lifeboat was tied under the gondola. It had a canvas- covered mahogany frame and was equipped with a pop-spark transmitter . Additional fuel supplies were again stored in the ballast train.

Wellman's announcements and their implementation

At the end of 1905 Walter Wellman had announced that he wanted to reach the North Pole together with the well-known airship Alberto Santos-Dumont . He described an airship like the semi-rigid Lebaudy with a 16 m long sheet steel gondola. Light snowmobiles and a steel boat were provided for locomotion after a possible landing.

In retrospect, Wellman only mentions Santos-Dumont's interest and advice on his project. Contrary to Wellman's announcement, Godard's design was not similar to that of the current Lebaudy , but to La France , which was built 22 years earlier . Instead of a boat, a large basket with equipment and fuel hung under the gondola, which was made of a wooden slatted frame, about 9 m long. Instead of snowmobiles, dog sleds were carried for reasons of weight. The gondola from 1907 was a steel tube / wood construction, only the steel tube gondola used in 1910 roughly corresponded to Wellman's original announcement.

Technical specifications

America Polar journey 1906 Polar journey 1907 Polar journey 1909 Atlantic 1910
length 50.3 m 56.4 m 70 m
diameter approx. 16 m
Envelope volume 6,350 m 3 7,800 m 3 9,200 m 3
engine front: 1 × 50 to 60 hp Clément
rear: 1 × 25 hp		 1 × 80 hp Lorraine Dietrich four-cylinder 1 × 80 HP Lorraine Dietrich four-cylinder
1 × 80 HP ENV eight-cylinder
propeller front: 5.70 m diameter / maximum 260 min −1
rear: 4.50 m diameter / max. 285 min −1
wooden frame, textile covered		 Side: 2 × 11 foot diameter
steel		 side: 2 × 12 feet diameter / maximum 500 min −1
side: 2 × 10.5 feet diameter / max. 750 min −1
wood
speed 18 mph (approx. 29 km / h)
Fuel for 120 h almost 200 h
gondola wooden slatted frame, basket;
stayed on Danskøya		 fabric-covered tubular steel / wooden frame;
destroyed on Danskøya		 Fabric-covered tubular steel frame, radio system, lifeboat
crew - 3 4th 6th

Web links

Commons : America (Airship)  - Collection of images, videos, and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h Jean-Claude Cailliez: Première tentative d'atteindre le Pôle nord en dirigeable: l'expédition W. Wellman (1906-09). August 12, 2006, accessed August 5, 2017 (French).
  2. ^ Louis Godart: Au Pôle Nord en Dirigeable. l'Aérophile, March 1906, pp. 87-92 , accessed August 6, 2017 (French).
  3. ^ Walter Wellman: The Aerial Age . Keller, New York 1911, p. 155 (English, online ).
  4. ^ A b c Walter Wellman: The Aerial Age . Keller, New York 1911, p. 168-169 (English).
  5. ^ A Different Perspective: Vaniman, the acrobatic photographer. (No longer available online.) February 19, 2007, archived from the original on February 19, 2007 ; accessed on August 6, 2017 .
  6. ↑ a b c d e f Ladislas d'Orcy (Ed.): D'Orcy's Airship Manual . The Century Co., New York 1917, p. 79-81 (English, online ).
  7. ^ Walter Wellman: The Aerial Age . Keller, New York 1911, p. 181 (English).
  8. ^ Walter Wellman: The Aerial Age . Keller, New York 1911, p. 182 (English).
  9. ^ A b Stewart B. Nelson: Airships in the Arctic. (PDF; 1.3 MB) in Arctic Vol. 46, No. 3. The Arctic Institute of North America, September 1993, pp. 278-283 , accessed August 6, 2017 .
  10. ^ Walter Wellman: The Aerial Age . Keller, New York 1911, p. 187 (English).
  11. ↑ Asbjorn Jaklin: røvertokt ride Mesteres. (PDF; 480 kB) Nordlys , November 4, 2011, pp. 26–27 , accessed on September 19, 2017 (Norwegian).
  12. ↑ a b P. J. Capelotti: The Wellman Polar Airship Expeditions at Virgohamna, Danskøya, Svalbard. (PDF; 9.46 MB) in: Meddelser No. 145. Norsk Polarinstitut, 1997, p. 23 , accessed on August 11, 2017 .
  13. ^ Allan Janus: Animals Aloft: Photographs from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Bunker Hill Publishing, Inc., 2005, pp. 28-29 , accessed on August 26, 2017 .
  14. ^ "Roy, come and get this goddamn cat" was the first ever in-flight radio transmission. aviationhumor.net, accessed on August 26, 2017 .
  15. ^ Patrick Roberts: Kiddo, the airship cat. Purr 'n' Fur UK, accessed August 26, 2017 .
  16. ^ Walter Wellman: The Aerial Age . Keller, New York 1911, p. 283-286 (English).
  17. ^ Walter Wellman: The Aerial Age . Keller, New York 1911, p. 311-315 (English).
  18. ^ Walter Wellman: The Aerial Age . Keller, New York 1911, p. 319-321 (English).
  19. ^ A b Walter Wellman: The Aerial Age . Keller, New York 1911, p. 333 (English).
  20. ^ The Airship "America" ​​of 1910: The First Attempt to Fly the Atlantic. In: airships.net. October 11, 2015, accessed on September 16, 2017 .
  21. ^ A b c The Airship “America” of 1910: The First Attempt to Fly the Atlantic. airships.net, accessed August 26, 2017 .
  22. ↑ Ladislas d'Orcy (Ed.): D'Orcy's Airship Manual . The Century Co., New York 1917, p. 177-179 (English, online ).
  23. ^ A b Walter Wellman: The Aerial Age . Keller, New York 1911, p. 147 (English).
  24. ^ A b Walter Wellman: The Aerial Age . Keller, New York 1911, p. 172-173 (English).
  25. ^ A b Walter Wellman: The Aerial Age . Keller, New York 1911, p. 231-232 (English).
  26. ^ A b Walter Wellman: The Aerial Age . Keller, New York 1911, p. 227-228 (English).
  27. ^ Walter Wellman: The Aerial Age . Keller, New York 1911, p. 266-267 (English).
  28. ^ Walter Wellman: The Aerial Age . Keller, New York 1911, p. 120 (English).
  29. ^ Walter Wellman: The Aerial Age . Keller, New York 1911, p. 131 (English).
  30. ^ Walter Wellman: The Aerial Age . Keller, New York 1911, p. 126-127 (English).
  31. ^ PJ Capelotti: The Wellman Polar Airship Expeditions at Virgohamna, Danskøya, Svalbard. (PDF; 9.46 MB) in: Meddelser No. 145. Norsk Polarinstitut, 1997, pp. 57-60 , accessed on August 11, 2017 (English).
  32. ^ Walter Wellman: The Aerial Age . Keller, New York 1911, p. 133 (English).
  33. ^ PJ Capelotti: The Wellman Polar Airship Expeditions at Virgohamna, Danskøya, Svalbard. (PDF; 9.46 MB) in: Meddelser No. 145. Norsk Polarinstitut, 1997, pp. 68–70 , accessed on August 11, 2017 (English).