La France (airship)

The La France was a French Army non-rigid airship launched by Charles Renard and Arthur Constantin Krebs on August 9, 1884.

Collaborating with Charles Renard, Arthur Constantin Krebs piloted the first fully controlled free-flight with the La France.

The 170-foot (52 m) long, 66,000-cubic-foot (1,900 m3) airship, electric-powered with a 435 kg (959 lb) zinc-chlorine flow battery[1] completed a flight that covered 8 km (5.0 mi) in 23 minutes.

[2] It was the first full round trip flight[3] with a landing on the starting point.

On its seven flights in 1884 and 1885[4] the La France dirigible returned five times to its starting point.

The 1884 La France , the first fully controllable airship.
The 1884 Krebs & Renard first fully controllable free-flights with the LA FRANCE electric dirigible near Paris (Krebs arch.)
Artist's depiction of La France
Hangar Y, Chalais-Meudon near Paris, France 2002