Humboldt (balloon)
Humboldt is the name of a balloon from the Association for the Promotion of Airship Travel , which was used to research the atmosphere in 1893 during the Berlin scientific aviation program .
It was made according to plans by Prime Lieutenant Hans Groß of the Berlin airship department. The spherical balloon had a capacity of 2514 cubic meters and a diameter of 16.87 meters. Its cover, made of rubberized cotton, weighed 350 kg. Kaiser Wilhelm II personally provided the funds for the construction and operation of the Humboldt (50,000 marks) from his very highest disposition fund.
When the balloon first rose on March 1, 1893, the Kaiser himself was present. The trip ended, however, when the initiator of scientific aviation, Richard Assmann , broke his right leg on landing. On the second trip on March 14, 1893, the valve opened and could no longer be closed by the balloonists Groß and Berson . Both survived the fall from a height of 2,800 meters with only minor injuries. On the third trip on March 28, 1893, the lightning rod of the Physikalisch-Technische Reichsanstalt tore a three-meter hole in the balloon envelope. The sixth journey of the Humboldt on April 26, 1893 was his last. When the hydrogen gas was released from the balloon envelope after landing, there was an explosion due to an electrostatic discharge that destroyed the balloon.
Humboldt enabled the aerologists to make valuable observations at heights of up to 6100 meters. The most important results of the Berlin scientific aviation, however, were only received with his successor Phoenix .
| date | Travel time (h: min) | Trip length (km) | Maximum height (m) | Attendees | Landing location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st March | 6:16 | 202 | 4355 | Big, Assmann, Kremser | Wussow near Naugard , Pomerania |
| the 14th of March | 3:47 | 250 | 6105 | Great, Berson | Rogasen , Poznan |
| 28th March | 9:02 | 275 | 3590 | Big, Berson, Süring | Hermannsdorf near Annaberg , Ore Mountains |
| 7th of April | 8:34 | 320 | 5215 | Big, Berson, Koebke | Kronach , Upper Franconia |
| April 19th | 7:30 | 150 | 4565 | Big, Berson, Bashin | Preschen near Muskau , Lower Lusatia |
| 26th of April | 10:59 | 370 | 4265 | Big, Berson, Süring | Heinrichau Monastery near Münsterberg , Silesia |
See also
literature
- Richard Assmann and Arthur Berson (eds.): Scientific aviation , Volume 1. Vieweg, Braunschweig 1899
- Karl-Heinz Bernhardt : To explore the atmosphere with the free balloon - the Berlin scientific aviation (1888-1899) . In: Dahlemer Archive Talks 6, 2000, pp. 52–82.
- Hans Steinhagen : The weather man. Life and work of Richard Assmann . Findling, Neuenhagen 2005, ISBN 3-933603-33-1 .
