The La France was a French Army non-rigid airship launched by Charles Renard and Arthur Constantin Krebs on August 9, 1884. Collaborating with Charles Renard, Arthur Constantin Krebs piloted the first fully controlled free-flight with the La France. The 170-foot (52 m) long, 66,000-cubic-foot (1,900 m³) airship, electric-powered with a 435 kg (959 lb) zinc-chlorine flow battery^[1] completed a flight that covered 8 km (5.0 mi) in 23 minutes.^[2] It was the first full round trip flight^[3] with a landing on the starting point. On its seven flights in 1884 and 1885^[4] the La France dirigible returned five times to its starting point.^[5][6]

The La France was constructed in Hangar "Y" at Chalais-Meudon near Paris in 1879. Hangar "Y" is one of the few remaining airship hangars in Europe.

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 50.90–52.00 m (167 ft 0 in – 170 ft 0 in) 32.9 m (108 ft) gondola of bamboo with silk covering
• Diameter: 8.4 m (27 ft 6 in)
• Volume: 1,841–1,900 m³ (65,000–66,000 cu ft) hydrogen
• Propellers: 2-bladed propellers, 7.0 m (23 ft 0 in) diameter 24 m (28 ft) pitch, 14.9 m (49 ft) drive shaft

Performance

• Maximum speed: 23.40 km/h (14.54 mph, 12.63 kn)
• Range: 12.2 km (7.6 mi, 6.6 nmi)

• Timeline of hydrogen technologies

• "LE BALLON DIRIGEABLE "LA FRANCE" / Plans, croquis et photos / N° 1 – Plans du dirigeable (élévation longitudinale et dessous)". Archived from the original on May 28, 2007.
• "LE BALLON DIRIGEABLE "LA FRANCE" / Plans, croquis et photos / N° 10 – Moteur du dirigeable (face avant)". Archived from the original on 2007-08-09.
• "9 August 1884". 9 August 2016. Archived from the original on August 12, 2016.
• "9 August 1884". 9 August 2020. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021.