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Lebaudy Patrie / Krechet / Gerfalcon
In February 1907, with the Chief Military Engineering Directorate, was created a commission under the chairmanship of N.L. Kirpicheva, which received the task to run the necessary experiments and to build a large dirigible. To the works were drawn the researchers: N.E. Zhukovsky, A.N. Krylov, V.V. Kuznetsov, E.S. Fedorov, K.A. Antonov, D.M. Smirnov, and others. The project they developed was under the direct management of N.I. Utesheva. Construction was somewhat drawn out, and only on July 30, 1910, the airship “Krechet” performed its first flight. It was the largest airship at the time.
The Patrie employed a non-combustible shield over the motor, for the protection of the envelope: its steering wheel was in front and the motor about in the middle of the car. The gasoline tank was under the car, compressed air being used to force the fuel up to the motor, which discharged its exhaust downward at the rear through a spark arrester. The semi-rigid Lebaudy Patrie was used for training by the Russian Empire as the Krechet (Gerfalcon). The Patrie was destroyed by a storm. Engines: 2 x 84 h.p
Volume: 6000 cu.m
Length: 70 m
Diameter: 11,4 m
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