This is a complete list of Forlanini airships designed and built by the Italian pioneer Enrico Forlanini from 1900 to 1931 (posthumously).[1] These, like the German Groß-Basenach semi-rigid airships, were the first to have the gondola attached to the envelope, to reduce air resistance.

F.1 Leonardo da Vinci

  • Designed: 1900-1901[2]
  • Maiden flight: 2 July 1909
  • Flights: 38, total distance 850 km.
  • Longest duration: 90 minutes
  • Length: 40 metres
  • Volume: 3,265 cubic metres
  • Propulsion: One Antoinette engine of 40 HP
  • Maximum speed: 52 km/h

Construction started in 1900 collaboration with Cesare del Fabbro. Its first flight in 1909 was one year after the first Italian semi-rigid flight by Gaetano Arturo Crocco. Like all the Forlanini airships, except the Omnia Dir, the empennage comprised groups of multiple planes at the poop and at the tail.[3]

F.2 Città di Milano

  • Maiden flight: 17 August 1913[3][4]
  • Flights: 43[3]
  • Length: 72 metres[1]
  • Volume: 12,000 cubic metres[3]
  • Gas cells: 12[3]
  • Propulsion: Two Isotta Fraschini engines of 80 HP each[1]
  • Maximum speed: 70 km/h[1]
  • Flight ceiling: 2400 metres[3]
  • Useful payload: 5 tonne[3]
  • Owner: Royal Italian Army (Regio Esercito)
  • Fate: 9 April 1914 emergency landing during storm, then damaged by trees and terrain while moored. While attempting to deflate gas cells, caught fire and destroyed.[1]

F.2's gondola was divided in three compartments: the command cabin, passenger cabin, and machine room. For safety all the material was treated with a fire suppressant and the envelope was double-skinned.[3]

F.3 Città di Milano II

  • Volume: 13,790 cubic metres[5]
  • Propulsion: Four FIAT S.54-A engines of 80 HP each[5]
  • Maximum speed: 80 km/h[3]
  • Flight endurance: 24 hours[3]
  • Useful payload: 6 tonne[3]
  • Fate: built for the British government but due to World War I requisitioned by the Italian Army in 1918[2][5]

F.4

F.5

  • Built: 1917[2]
  • Volume: 17,783 cubic metres[5][7]
  • Length: 300 feet (91 m)[2]
  • Maximum width: 66 feet (20 m)[2]
  • Propulsion: Two FIAT S.76-A engines of 350 HP each[5]
  • Flight ceiling: 20,000 feet (6,100 m)[2]
  • Gas cells: 12[2]
  • Payload: 22,000 pounds (10,000 kg)[8]
  • Crew: 5: commander, two officers, two mechanics[2]
  • Owner: Royal Italian Army
  • Fate: military operations, decommissioned 6 February 1918

F.6

  • Built: 1918
  • Volume: 15,000 cubic metres[5]
  • Propulsion: Four Isotta Fraschini IV-B engines of 180 HP each
  • Owner: Royal Italian Army (Regio Esercito)
  • Fate: one single military mission before the armistice

Omnia Dir

  • Built: 1931
  • Volume: 4,000 cubic metres
  • Propulsion: One Isotta Fraschini of 150 HP
  • Note: Used two groups of five jets of compressed air for maneuvering, one at each end

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Lapini, Gian Luca
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 New York Times
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 editors of Italian wikipedia
  4. ↑ New York Times has 1912.#Tim
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Ligugnana, Sandro
  6. ↑ New York Times wrote F-4 appeared in 1916.#Tim
  7. ↑ New York Times claimed 700,000 cubic feet (20,000 m3).#Tim
  8. ↑ New York Times wrote payload reduces to 13,000 pounds (5,900 kg) at 7,000 feet (2,100 m) and 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg) at 13,000 feet (4,000 m).#Tim

References

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