Ohio 1803 ????

[timjnf]

Doesn't that make San Francisco "First in Float"?

[Rod_Filan]

Here are links to larger images of what Jempie's attached. Dr. Greth's machine is as beautiful as it is classic non-rigid airship design.

http://204.83.160.230/archive/JPL/1903.10....rship.1_jpl.jpg

http://204.83.160.230/archive/JPL/1903.10....rship.2_jpl.jpg

Another annotated with photo of Point Sur Lighthouse.
http://204.83.160.230/archive/airships/190...ornia.Eagle.jpg


I've written that Greth's airship was first to fly
"west of the Mississippi", because I've listed Stevens' No.1 as first American motorized airship accent on 9 Apr 1902 at Manhattan Beach NY. Not certain but I think it may be a neighbourhood in Brooklyn. I have very little information on this one however, and no spec's on what the motor might have been. Even though the Stevens airship flew a full one and one-half years earlier than Greth and co-pilot(?), I agree as Jempie suggests; California Eagle in 1903 is the best documented "proven" first motorized controlled flight.

http://204.83.160.230/archive/JPL/1902.Stevens.jpl.jpg
http://204.83.160.230/archive/airshi...evens.no.1.jpg

VBR
Rod

[jempie]

Hi Rod !

I tried to go to the URL links here but seems erver problems at hand now?
Got alot of PC troubles again the latest days, viruses, spyware and such.
It's not pleasant anymore to try to practice the hobby!

Stevens ?????
I haven't any idea anymore which one that was?
Motorised?

See you gave a URL on Stevens into my own submitted photos, but wasn't that the bicycle pedal system driven on one???
If it is another, I don't remember which one it is!

Checked once my airship lists, no Stevens on it!

I scanned a few fine pictures on pre-WWI German aviators...
Bruno Jablonski (n°30) mentioned as to be the youngest pilot in Germany

Gustav Otto (n°34) mentioned to fly into my book on Farman and Aviatik but into a Blériot on photo!

Also a named James Schwade (October,13.1910) mentioned as to fly on a Schwade plane! Never heard if this man and at first sight no flight license in Germany!
Further a named Hans Rörer on a Grade plane....
Also not into my book forecoming but the list I have goes only until license n°42...must once go to the more complete list on internet!


VBR
Jempie/JPL

[AAC Cadet Leader]

It's fascinating (as always) reading your posts, gentlemen! More! More!







Rod,
Something is wrong with the five links you cited. None open up.

[Rod_Filan]

Originally posted by AAC Cadet Leader@May 22 2004, 03:55 PM
[b] Rod,
Something is wrong with the five links you cited. None open up.

Yes, it appears the server is down. Unfortunately its a long weekend and no one would be answering phones at the ISP. Try again later... I'm sure it will be back up soon.


Jempie,
check your U.S. Private Airships list (page 183). Stevens is listed under Greth as a 1903 airship first flown at Coney Island, NY. No other data given.

My research on Stevens concluded this:

The first American airship ascent was made by A. Leo Stevens on 9 Apr 1902 at Manhattan Beach, New York. – A. Leo Stevens (1876-1944) was an early exhibition balloonist and one of America's first parachutists. Stevens built several balloons, parachutes and dirigibles and made over 3000 balloon ascensions. He financed and managed several pioneer aviators including Harriet Quimby. Most notable as an inventor who contributed to aviation safety through work in parachute design; in 1909 Stevens invented the manually operated safety pack parachute - the first backpack style, free-opening parachute. During WWI he was an army instructor at Fort Omaha, Nebraska, and from 1917 until 1926, Stevens worked as a civilian instructor in parachuting and ballooning for the government while working to develop a reliable parachute for aviators. Stevens had conceived a free-fall chute as early as 1908 but had not developed a practical rig. He introduced new concepts of parachute canopies, harnesses and in 1942 he invented the delayed-opening parachute.


I'm very interested in determining whether or not this 1902 airship was in fact a motorized dirigible. It is difficult to ascertain from the photos. It looks to show Stevens on a S-D No.4 type gondola set-up (bicycle seat), but again, the images are poor.
Not all sources in my notes are recorded (me bad) but I did find this information (description of photo not shown) at the Mecklem website (Seattle aeronaut who amongst other things, had previously piloted Baldwin's air-oar airship in 1905) :
“Eastern Airship purchased by Mecklem. New York constructor’s name not recalled, although Mecklem said it might have been A. Leo Stevens on one occasion. Note sliding weight (sandbag) immediately before aeronaut in center of frame. The aeronaut moved the weight backwards or forwards to govern the horizontal attitude of the aircraft. Site of flight not remembered. Mecklem bought the craft in California at end of Dominguez Field meet.”

This would appear to indicate Stevens (if Mecklem's recollecton was correct) continued with airship construction until at least 1910. Yet I can find out almost nothing about his dirigible(s)! -His ballooning and parachute exploits are well noted but his airship career is vague.

VBR
Rod

[jempie]

Hi Rod!

Outlook problems persists! PC was again poisened today with
more than 9.000 porn coockies + trj virus..etc...
Two coockies cannot be deleted inspite my anti-virus and Rootweb Spyware Sweeper!Although I did yesterday several antivirus ,adware and spywarecontrolls with!

What goes on now A. L. Stevens...Is indeed mentioned as "has constructed 1900 a motor-driven navigable airship and that Dr. August Greth made a succesfull airship flight on October 18, 1903"
(source : St-Louis City of Flight)

The Jane's Airships book n°7, mentions for for A.L. Stevens the year 1903 at Coney Island...

Could be it was indeed Stevens who made the first motorised flight!
But photos and confirmation further?

1863 I have a page on Shaw with a motorised balloon...but was it ever constructed and made it ever a flight? Probably steam or compressed air or such powered?

There were several man powered engines as well and the one I thought at in first instance was the pedal bicycle driven on propellered airship from Ritchell (1878) It's proven he made flights with! But by windstill time than!

VBR

JPL

[jempie]

Ritchell 1878
And seems he made flights with this engine! And probably constructed others of this kind...
I have seen in a magazine once also into the USA constructed bicycle pedal driven on airship which balloon had a Napoleon hatshape!
Under it the pilot supended on a bicycle system....but no idea anymore who was it and what year!


But let's have it indeed about motorised (and eventually controlled) flights!


VBR

Jempie.

[Rod_Filan]

Jempie,

Just a further note on Stevens for your records.

U.S. Patent # 661,826 Stevens, Leo New York, NY Controllable Balloon 1900-11-13. 2 pages.

Simine's U.S. Aviation Patent Database
http://invention.psychology.msstate....tDatabase.html

Bookmark it. It's proven useful to me more than once.

VBR
Rod

[jempie]

Hi!

Couldn't open content of the above list patents ?
(working with internet explorer 5.1!)
At hand of the list patents, the "Sky-Cycle" from Carl Meyers must be the one I remembered with that "Napoleon Hat" shaped balloon!
Than the Shaw picture! He manually activated his propellor!
So muscle powered propeller and surely ineffectif.
His other hand is controlling the direction wheel to turn his gondola into the wished flight direction...!

Than Stevens seems me to be than the first one who made a motorised airship flight into the USA...
Did a moment escape to my attention indeed...
But there is so little known about those early pioneers!

VBR

Jempie