This book tells the often dramatic and always fascinating story of
flight in lighter than air machines. For centuries man had dreamed
of flying, but all attempts failed, until in 1782 the Montgolfier
brothers constructed the world's first hot air balloon The
following year saw the first ascent with aeronauts - not human
beings but a sheep, a duck and a cockerel. But it was not long
before men and women too took to the air and became ever more
adventurous. The aeronauts became famous giving displays before
crowds of thousands, often accompanied by special effects. In the
early years, ballooning was a popular pastime, but in the 19th
century it found a new use with the military. Balloons were used to
send messages out during the Siege of Paris and later found a role
as observation balloons for the artillery. But their use was always
limited by the fact that they were at the mercy of the wind. There
were numerous attempts at steering balloons, and various attempts
were made to power them but it was the arrival of the internal
combustion engine that saw the balloon transformed into the
airship. The most famous developer of airships was Graf von
Zeppelin and the book tells the story of the use of his airships in
both peacetime and at war. There were epic adventures including
flights over the poles and for a time, commercial airships
flourished - then came the disaster of the Hindenburg. Airships
still fly today and ballooning has become a hugely popular pastime.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
