Breguet's pre-1914 ID Challenge #109

[aerohydro]

In keeping with Rod's wishes: here is an aerostatic wonder, for you to ponder:



The scores at the end of Challenge #108 are:

18.70 Rbailey
14.20 Varese2002
12.60 aerohydro
9.20 Aquilius
7.30 matte_kudasai
6.70 richard B
6.00 Cruze
6.00 YavorD
5.50 Airarticles
5.00 Flamingo
**************
(those above this section must wait 12 hours before answering,
those below - and everyone else - may answer immediately)
**************
4.70 Rod_Filan
3.00 Lodzermensch
3.00 joegertler
2.00 berman
2.00 sobrien
2.00 Doc
1.10 Froggy
1.00 paolomiana
0.40 Wind In The Wires

The rules of engagement:

1. The thread title must be "Bréguet's Pre-1914 ID Challenge #......".
2. The score board, link and rules must be copied to the beginning of each thread, so that we know where we are. The score board and the correct answer to the challenge must also be placed at end of each thread.
3. The flying object must have been dreamt up before 1914 (no limit backwards in time ....).
4. There are no limits to the flying object for the pre-1914 series. There is no ruling that it must be flown, or completely built.
5. Machines which exist only as 'paper', that is absolutely no material has been cut to construct it, are excluded from this ID Challenge
6. The picture / drawing must show as much of the flying object as possible, but views showing the machine 'incomplete' are possible (with discretion).
7. Challenges which depict a machine already earlier presented are disqualified.
8. If there is any doubt as to the eligibility of a flying object for the challenge details should be PM'd to Breguet BEFORE the object is submitted.
9. Once someone has got 5 correct answers under their belt they belong to the ROYALTY. Once they belong to the ROYALTY they must wait 12hrs after the posting of the new challenge before they can post an answer.
10. To be eligible for correct ID an answer must include at least one characteristic of the aircraft that helped in its identification.
11. The first person to ID the challenge correctly gets to post the next challenge. If this can not be done for any reason Breguet himself will post the next challenge.
12. If a ROYALTY gives the correct answer too early, the challenge is over, he gets no point but has to post the next one. In lieu of the fact that the "novices" have in effect been "cheated" of their "exclusive" time that next post should be a relatively easy one. Anyone repeating the correct answer at the right time gets neither a point nor the right to post the next challenge.
13. The final arbitrator in relation to questions about the rules will be Breguet.

[Rod_Filan]

I'll have to recuse myself because it took me a whole 2 seconds to recognize this one and my sister from Vancouver is coming into town on Thursday and I don't know how much time I'll have to spend setting up #110 if I was to answer now. Unless of course there's no takers by tomorrow; by then I don't think I'll be able to restrain myself.

So for now I'll just say this...

"Look yonder gents! That's me up there!"

-
Cheers

[Varese2002]

Special in this dirigible is the propeller fitted under the gondola, with an extra propeller at the front (is it?) and two at the back (?).

The closest I can come is the German Wölfert airship Deutschland of 1879. It had at least a propeller at the underside of the gondola.

Cheers

Kees

[aerohydro]

Time for a clue:

• The short history of this airship was written up in The Eagle Aloft by Tom Crouch

Let's see if anyone can beat Rod to the answer!

Cheers,
Paul

[Varese2002]

No hope to find this one within a limited time, miss Tom Crouch book

Cheers

Kees

[Rod_Filan]

Patented on May 10, 1887, (No. 362,605), this "Air Ship", powered by an Edison electric motor and its 18,000 cu. ft. envelope supplied by Carl E. Meyers, was known as the Campbell Air Ship. At a cost of $2500, it was built by the Novelty Air Ship Company of Brooklyn, NY, for Professor Peter C. Campbell.

The Campbell Air Ship was lost at sea July 16, 1889 while being flown by Professor E. D. Hogan, a professional aerobat/parachutist, during an exhibition flight originating from the Nassau Gas Works. Intending to make a trip around New York, then to pass over to New Jersey and into the country, five minutes into the flight the 8 foot diameter lower propeller, with which Hogan was to raise and lower the airship gave way and fell to the ground. To make matters worse, it was observed that the steering propellers did not seem to work as no revolutions were discernible, leaving Hogan at the complete mercy of the wind.

That a Canadian judge declared E. D. Hogan legally deceased in September leads me to believe he was a Canadian citizen.

The first flight of the Campbell Air Ship, was made December 8, 1888 from Coney Island to Sheepshead Bay, piloted by Carlos the aeronaut. At this time the motive of power appears to have been bicycle pedals and multiplying gears. The mysterious Carlos was almost certainly the wife of Carl Meyers; Carlotta the aeronaut.

...Carlotta has been engaged to make the first trip in Mr. Campbell's air-ship.

-The Brisbane Courier. 1888.

-
Cheers
Rod

[aerohydro]

And Rod has it!

This indeed is the 1889 Campbell Air Ship, aka the Campbell Airship, aka the Campbell Dirigicycle.

A good place to go, in order to read about this machine and the fate that befell it and its pilot, Edward Hogan, is at this link, where someone is touting a Novelty Air Ship Company stock certificate for a mere USD7000!:

Novelty Air Ship Company - RARE (Professor Campbell's Airship was lost at Sea during Exhibition Flight) - New Jersey, 1888

Novelty Air Ship Company stock certificate

It does appear that Hogan was the first airship fatality. Because of that its somewhat surprising that this particular story isn't better known. Perhaps it was because it took place in America, and not in Europe, where the majority of the early powered airships were being built and tested.

Rod, you're correct that Hogan was Canadian. About half way down the Scripophily webpage there is an extract from Who's Who in Ballooning, indicating that Hogan was born in Moorestown, Canada, and also supplying a lot of detail about his ballooning career.

Cheers,
Paul

[aerohydro]

Congratulations to Rod for breaking the 5:00 point barrier, and now having to wait a whole 12 hours before answering, thus making it a bit easier for everyone else to answer these Challenges.

The scores at the end of Challenge #109 are:

18.70 Rbailey
14.20 Varese2002
12.60 aerohydro
9.20 Aquilius
7.30 matte_kudasai
6.70 richard B
6.00 Cruze
6.00 YavorD
5.70 Rod_Filan
5.50 Airarticles
5.00 Flamingo
**************
(those above this section must wait 12 hours before answering,
those below - and everyone else - may answer immediately)
**************
3.00 Lodzermensch
3.00 joegertler
2.00 berman
2.00 sobrien
2.00 Doc
1.10 Froggy
1.00 paolomiana
0.40 Wind In The Wires