The first practical airship was the work of Frenchman Henri Gifard who in 1852 constructed a 143 ft long craft. Pointed at both ends and driven by a 3 hp steam engine; weighing, with its boiler, 350 lb and suspended 20 ft below the envelope, driving an 1 ft diameter propeller at 110 rpm to give it a still air speed of 6 mph.

On 14 September 1852 Giffard lifted off from the Hippodrome in Paris and, in near perfect weather conditions, flew 17 miles to Trappes, south of Paris in around 3 hours.

Whilst Giffard was able to effect a degree of control with the triangular sail that performed the function of a rudder in directing his flight, he was unable on this or later flights to either navigate in a circle or return to his starting point due to the low power of the engine.

Engine: 3 hp
Length: 144.357 ft / 44.0 m
Width of hull: 39.37 ft / 12.0 m
Contained volume: 88300 cu.ft / 2500 cu.m
Max. speed: 5 kts / 10 kph
Gross lift: 2500 kg

In 1910, Villehad Henrik Forssman (1884–1944) had graduated from the Riga Polytechnic Institute as a mechanical engineer and then moved to Germany that same year. Thereabouts, the Swede had been contracted by the Russian army to deliver a dirigible and was there to be used for intelligence services, which was constructed at “August Riedinger Ballonfabrik” in Augsburg. It is not known whether or not the Russian military ever took delivery of the airship. The dirigible was only 35 meters long with a maximum diameter of 6 meters, and held 800 cubic meters of hydrogen gas. It could be dismantled very quickly and just as fast, later be ready to fly. Because of lift-force limitations a gondola was not available, only a single bench seat with the engine, where the pilot and a mechanic had a place to sit. The 28 hp motor, which was also built by Forssman, weighed only 38 kg, and the cooling 4 1/2 kg. Reportedly the entire craft weighed 450 kg and capable of attaining a maximum speed of 43 km/h.