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Lebaudy Patrie

Type : semi-rigid airship

In service : December 1906

Design : Henri Julliot

Construction : Lebaudy Freres

General Information :

First airship built for the French Army in Moisson by Lebaudy. It was based by the army at Chalais-Meudon. After some successful operation flights “Patrie” was flown to its new base at Verdun in November 1907.

Due to a mechanical fault, the Patrie became stranded away from her base on 29 November 1907 in Souhesmes . During a storm on 30 November she was torn loose from her temporary moorings and, despite the efforts of some 200 soldiers who tried to restrain her, she was carried away by the high winds and lost from sight. Had the rope to the emergency gas-release system been attached, her loss could possibly have been avoided. After crossing the English Channel and passing unseen through English airspace during the night, the Patrie was sighted over Wales and Ireland on 1 December. She made a brief landfall near Belfast , before rising again to be blown out over the Atlantic Ocean. Following a sighting from a steamship off the Hebrides , she was never seen again.

Despite the loss of the Patrie , the Lebaudy Brothers went on to complete a sister-ship to the Patrie , the République , for the French Army. Additionally, several airships of a similar design to the Patrie were ordered and delivered to export customers, these included the Russian Empire and Austro-Hungarian Empire

Crew : 4 Length : 60m diameter : 10.5m Volume 3300 m3 useful lift 1260 kg

Max. speed 48 km/hr cruise speed : 42 km/hr range : 450 km endurance : 10 hrs

Literature : Early Aviation page 28