| |
The news of the Montgolfier brothers’ successful balloon
flying on the 4th of June quickly arrived to Paris. The Academy of
Sciences formed a committee to give the economic possibilities to conduct
a demonstration in Paris.
Joseph and Étienne hesitated to reuse the balloon from Annonay. Étienne
went to Paris to make the necessary arrangements, while the shy Joseph
stayed at Annonay. Instead they decided to build a new larger balloon,
about 1000 m³ in volume, 24 meters high and weighing 450 kg. The envelope
of taffeta and paper was coated with a varnish of alum which has
fireproofing properties. The balloon was painted in sky blue and was
beautifully decorated in golden paint including the monogram of the king.
The balloon was ordered from the wallpaper manufacturer Reveillon. The
balloon was tested tethered on the 11th of September near Reveillon’s
factory. During another test the following day a heavy rain fell and
destroyed the balloon. But a new balloon was manufactured in only five
days in time to the demonstration for the king. Now the particulars were:
volume 1400 m³, height 19 meters and weight 400 kg.
The demonstration was held as scheduled on the 19th of September 1783 at
Versailles and attended by King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antionette.
Three passengers joined the flight: a sheep, a duck and a rooster. The
sheep had got the name Montauciel (Climb-to-the-sky). The animals were
locked in a wicker basket hung by a rope under the balloon. Once released,
it climbed to a height of about 500 meters. The flight lasted
approximately eight minutes and the landed safely about three kilometres
from the starting point.
The animals are alive and unhurt, except for the cock which seemed to have
broken a wing. But several witnesses testified that the sheep had kicked
him before the balloon left the ground.
The experiment was a success: it was possible for a hot-air balloon (now
usually called a montgolfier) to carry a significant burden and survive
the stay at altitude. The next step was a flight with human beings.
|
|
