The Fall/Winter Check-in Challenge cover image is a French postcard depicting the take-off of "Le Body" on November 20, 1903, against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower. On November 12, 1903, a French airship made its first long-distance flight. Designed by brothers Pierre and Paul LeBodie, with the assistance of Antoine Giulio, the airship flew 70 kilometers from the small town of Muissons to Paris, landing on the Champs-Élysées to the cheers of a large spectator.
The airship aroused such interest that the brothers decided to stay in Paris for a week to make it accessible to all who wanted to see it. It was scheduled to return on November 20, but a strong gust of wind during takeoff threw the ship into a tree, tearing the shell.
In winter, the airship underwent repairs, and the flight resumed the following year, proving the good performance of the aircraft. Specifically, the speed is up to 35 kilometers per hour, the maximum altitude is 1370 meters, and the engine flight range is 98 kilometers. The cabin can accommodate three people. But on August 28, the balloon was again badly damaged by the storm. It was repaired again, and in 1905 it took part in military Xi, conducting aerial reconnaissance and bombing (the first time in the history of human piloting aviation).
In the same year, the Ministry of War purchased their airship from the Lebodie brothers for 80,000 francs. It was not until 1912 that the first generation airships of the French Air Force were finally scrapped and dismantled due to wear and tear.
"Lebody" is a semi-rigid airship. The sharp rubber cloth balloons on both sides are 565 meters with a volume of 2,284 cubic meters, fixed to a lightweight oval load-bearing frame made of steel tubes. Attached to the same frame in the rear are the cruciform tail and steering rudder, under which are suspended pods that house the crew and a 40-horsepower "Mercedes" engine that drives two three-meter-long two-bladed propellers to rotate on the side bars.
The balloon was painted in bright yellow aviation paint to protect the fabric from the sun, so the airship, which had no official name, was informally called "La Jaune", that is, "yellow". Under this moniker, it is often mentioned in literary works.
When the yellow "was scrapped, the Lebodie brothers built 10 more airships, but they gradually increased in size, load capacity and engine power. One of them was made in 1909 on a Russian order. We call it "swan" because of its similar pronunciation to "lebody". In 1911, St. Petersburg built the airship "Kreychet" on its own based on its samples. But that's another story for another time.
A color drawing of an airship. The color of the airship is yellow, with sharp sides and a pod at the bottom. 
In Paris, the airship was housed in the mechanical pavilion of the 1889 World's Fair. The size of the building is just right for this airship. 
This ** is a close-up of the airship pod. The crew and engine can be seen in the pod. 
Close-up of the airship pod. 
In 1903 it was not the best state. The Ferris wheel can be seen in the background. 
Escorted by a group of Parisians, the airship sailed to the launch site. 
Russian Air Force airship "Swan".