Roy Knabenshue & His Airship

Rare

Dated: Circa 1905
Type/Theme: Knabenshue Airships
Size: Standard
Notes & Literature: The Knabenshue Toledo No. 1 was built by Augustus Roy Knabenshue (b 1876, d 1960). Knabenshue was an American aviation pioneer, who by stroke of luck, and completely without powered flight experience, became the first American to pilot an airship under power - all in front of an approving audience. (See "Sidebar", 3rd column below). After his flight, where the press christened him the "Wizard of the Air", he immediately embarked on building his "Toledo".Not much is written about the Knabenshue airships in terms of construction, but what one can see from photos, Knabenshue's No. 1 was clearly influenced by the airship design of Thomas Baldwin. Photos of the "Knabenshue No. 1" and Baldwin's "California Arrow" which Knabenshue piloted on October 25, 1904 at the St. Louis World's Fair, bear a striking resemblance. Both suspend a triangular frame catwalk as a "control car" under a set of square-mesh nets of strong cord which, upon inflation of the the gas bag, contain and hold the gas bag captive.Constructed through the winter of 1904 and the spring of 1905, Knabenshue’s No. 1 was ready for flight in June 1905. The control "car" was 38 feet long, made up of square spruce struts (painted a silver color resulting in an "aluminum" appearance) and piano wire cross bracing making the entire frame very rigid. The gas bag is cigar-shaped, 62 feet long, made of Japanese silk "painted" with a special "varnish" developed by Knabenshue himself, and a capacity of 7,000 cubic feet of hydrogen. It is with great fortune that Mr. Knabenshue was able to complete the construction of his first two airships as vandals broke into his workshop on May 24th, 1905, and cut up and nearly destroyed one of the gas-bags! [It should be noted that Mr. Knabenshue was obviously confident in his design, as in August of 1905 he also had ready his very similar "Toledo No. 2", which he flew in and around Central Park, New York that same month, opting to fly the No. 2 instead of the No. 1 which he had with him as well.

Condition Report Unused. Very Good.