Time Period: Pre-WW1
Country of Origin: France
Type: Hot Air Balloons
Manufacturer: Robert Brothers
The Charlière Balloon
The Charlière was the first hydrogen-filled gas balloon, designed by French inventor Jacques Alexandre César Charles 🔗 and constructed with the assistance of the Robert brothers, Anne-Jean and Nicolas-Louis, in 1783. This innovation marked a significant advancement in lighter-than-air flight technology.
In the summer of 1783, the French Academy of Sciences commissioned Charles to develop a balloon, aiming to expedite progress in aeronautics following the Montgolfier brothers’ earlier demonstrations with hot air balloons. Misinterpreting the Montgolfiers’ use of hot air as a lifting gas, Charles opted for hydrogen, known then as “inflammable air,” which had been identified by Henry Cavendish in 1766.
The Robert brothers, skilled engineers with a workshop in Paris, collaborated with Charles to construct the balloon’s envelope. They innovatively dissolved rubber in turpentine to varnish silk sheets, creating a lightweight and airtight material suitable for containing hydrogen gas.
The Charlière’s inaugural unmanned flight occurred on August 27, 1783, from the Champ de Mars in Paris. The balloon ascended to considerable heights and traveled several kilometers before descending near Gonesse, where apprehensive villagers destroyed it.
This successful demonstration of hydrogen as a lifting gas paved the way for subsequent manned flights and further developments in ballooning technology, distinguishing gas balloons (Charlières) from hot air balloons (Montgolfières) and expanding the possibilities for human flight.
How It Worked
The inflation process began on August 23, 1783, in their workshop. Hydrogen gas was generated by combining nearly a quarter-tonne of sulfuric acid with half a tonne of scrap iron. The gas was then directed into the balloon’s envelope through lead pipes. However, as the hydrogen was not cooled before being transferred, its contraction upon cooling made it difficult to completely fill the balloon.
The inflation process attracted immense public curiosity, with daily updates issued to an eager audience. The growing crowds became unmanageable, prompting the team to secretly transport the partially filled balloon to the Champ de Mars 🔗, a location approximately four kilometers away (now the site of the Eiffel Tower), under the cover of darkness on August 26.
