Alberto Santos-Dumont's Airship No. 9 featured what was, at the time, "the smallest motor which [had] ever been successfully applied to a dirigible balloon." Join senior curator Tom Crouch as he uses the Clement V-2 Engine from Airship No. 9 as a starting point in a gallery talk about Santos-Dumont and the fates of his airships.
Meet at the Museum "Great Seal", in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall on the first floor.
About the Ask an Expert lecture series: Every Wednesday at noon in the National Mall Building, a Museum staff member talks to the public about the history, collection, or personalities related to a specific artifact or exhibition in the Museum.
This French engine powered the Santos-Dumont Airship No. 9 in 1903. It performed two tasks: propulsion and the operation of a belt driven blower to pressurize the airship's envelope. Although designed for the Clement Autocyclette motorcycle, it was easily converted to aeronautical use because of its light weight and adequate power.