History of Aeronautics

The desire of humans to fly is very ancient and powerful. The history of the development of aeronautics, or ballooning, is filled with tragic episodes and heroic feats, brilliant insights and painstaking research. In the book "History of Aeronautics," an enormous array of historical materials dedicated to the development of aeronautics is summarized for the first time in Russian. The book tells about the birth of the idea of "air flight" and the first experiments, the history of the creation of balloons (aerostats) and dirigibles, the evolution of their designs, and the lesser-known events of the early years of their practical use. Significant attention is paid to the use of aerostats and dirigibles in warfare. Finally, it considers sporting ballooning, the establishment of records for height and distance, the conquest of the Atlantic, and round-the-world flights. The text is accompanied by a large number of illustrations. The book is addressed to a wide range of readers interested in the history of aviation and aeronautics.