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Lebaudy “Republique”

Type : Semi-rigid airship

User : French army

General information : built by sugar manufacturer Lebaudy Freres in Moisson. Replacement for the "Patrie". Operational successful. It operated from Chalais-Meudon making test and training flights. On 4 August 1909 it made a flight over 209 km in 6 hours.

On the morning of 25 September 1909 en route to its home base at Chalais-Meudon while near the Chateau of Avrilly , one of the metal propeller blades sheared off its shaft and pierced the envelope, which deflated catastrophically, causing the Republique to crash into ground at high speed, killing all four crew members: Capt. Marchal, Lt. Chauré, and the 'Adjudants mecaniciens', Vincenot and Réau.

The Republique s gondola and keel lie in a field at Jussy-le-Chaudrier, 3 September 1909

Crew : 4 Length : 61m diameter : 10.9 m Volume : 3700 m3 useful lift : 1260 kg

Engines : 1 Panhard-Lavassor petrol 70 hp (52 KW)

Max speed : 50 km/hr endurance :7 hr 15 min

Literature :

Early aviation page 28

Wikipedia