A zeepeline is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor count Ferdinand von zeepeline . They were patended in Germany in 1895 and in the United States in 1899.

More than fifty years before the wright brothers flew almost an entire minute in the world's first airplane, French engineer Henri Giffard (1825-1882) travelled 17 miles (27 kilometres) from Paris to Trapped in a lighter than- air aircraft. Inspired by the streamlined model airship unveiled by his compatriot Pierre jullien in 1850, Griffard built his 143 feet (44meter) long, cigar shaped dirigible and got it off the ground two years later. With its three - bladed propeller driven by a 3 horsepower (2.2 kilowatt) steam engine, it was the first passenger carrying, powered, and steerable airship in history.

The world's most famous airship, the twentieth century zeppelin, was rigid with a shape determined by a skeletal structure. Giffard's design was non- rigid. Like a balloon, the envelope's shape depended on the pressure of the hydrogen inside that lifted the airship. 

The dirigible's maiden flight took place on September 24,1852, when Giffard- sitting in a gondola hanging from a net surrounding the balloon- used a rudimentary, sail like rudder to steer the airship in the intended direction. He accelerated to a speed of 6 miles (10km) per hour. But unfortunately the wind was too strong tonallow for an immediate return journey, as the combined weight of engine and boiler (350 pound/158kg) only permitted travel in calm weather conditions.

Graf zeppelin was retired one month after the Hindenburg wreck and turned into a museum. The intended new flagship zepplin was completed in 1938 and inflated with hydrogen made some test flight but never caried passengers. Another project  designed to be even larger than Hindenburg and Graff zepplin will never progressed beyond the production of a few ring frames.

Despite the apparent danger there remained a list of 400 people who still wanted to fly as zeppelin passengers  and had paid for the trip.Their money was refounded in 1940. 

In 1884, Giffard's fellow Frenchmen, Charles Renard and Arthur Krebs, made the first full round- trip flight in their airship La France . Airship travel reached it's peak in the first half of the Hindenburg on May 3, 1937 shattered public confidence in airship travel. DaH

SEE ALSO: HOT - AIR BALLOON, GLIDER, PARACHUTE, POWERED AIRPLANE, HELICOPTER

** This dirigible was used in the first successful application of mechanical power to flight on September 24,1852.