The Société Zodiac company, and its predecessor company Mallet, Mélandri et de Pitray, were a manufacturer of non-rigid airships and one rigid airship in the early 1900s and during World War I. The companies were co-founded by Maurice Mallet and Henry de La Vaulx in 1896. During World War I, the company specialized in producing small airships that could be easily deflated, compacted and transported via horse carts. The company also manufactured war planes. After the war the company shifted from airships and airplanes to producing a popular line of inflatable boats for military and civil markets, and aerospace production.
Pre-World War I airships (1906-1913)
Source: D'Orcy's Airship Manual
| Works
No. |
Name | Trials | Length
(m) |
Beam
(m) |
Volume
(m) |
Power
(h.p.) |
Speed
(km) |
Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Comte de la Vaulx | June 1906 | 32.5 | 6.4 | 730 | 14 | 25 | Experimental craft. Named after company co-founder Count Henri de la Vaulx. Rebuilt as Zodiac II in 1908. | 
|
| 2 | Petit-Journal | April 1909 | 30,0 | 7.0 | 700 | 16 | 26 | Advertising blimp for the La Petit-Journal. Rebuilt as Zodiac I in 1908. | 
|
| 3 | Petit-Journal II | 1909 | 32.3 | 7.2 | 900 | 45 | 30 | Advertising blimp for the La Petit-Journal | |
| 4 | Zodiac | October 1909 | 40.8 | 8.5 | 1400 | 45 | 45 | Built for French Army | |
| 5 | Davis | July 31, 1910 | 40.8 | 8.5 | 1400 | 30 | 35 | Built for Stuart Davis of The Zodiac Dirigible Airship Company, New York City. | |
| 6 | Zodiac II | 1910 | 40.8 | 8.5 | 1400 | 30 | 35 | Built for Belgian Army | |
| 6a | Zodiac III | 1913 | 42.5 | 8.5 | 1700 | 50 | 40 | Built for Belgian Army | 
|
| 7 | Duindigt | May 1911 | 34.9 | 6.8 | 915 | 30 | 43 | Built for Dutch Army | 
|
| 8 | Tchaika | November 1910 | 48.0 | 10.0 | 2140 | 60 | 40 | Built for Russian Army | |
| 9 | Korchoune | December 1910 | 48.0 | 10.0 | 2140 | 60 | 40 | Built for Russian Army | |
| 10 | Le Temps | March 1911 | 50.3 | 9.0 | 2300 | 110 | 50 | Built for French Army | |
| 11 | Capitaine Ferber | December 1911 | 76.0 | 12.4 | 6000 | 220 | 56 | Built for French Army | 
|
| 12 | Commandant Coutelle | April 1913 | 92.0 | 14.0 | 9500 | 400 | 62 | Built for French Army | 
|
| 13 | Spiess | May 1913 | 113.0 | 13.5 | 12800 | 200 | 50 | Only rigid airship built by Zodiac Society. Named after its engineer Joseph Spiess. Design was originally patented in 1873 but not built due to lack of funding. Offered to French Army, but failed its trials. | 
|
| 13a | Spiess | December 1913 | 140.0 | 13.5 | 16400 | 400 | 70 | Rebuilt to meet French Army standards, but was again rejected as too small. | |
| 14 | 1913 | 130.0 | 15.0 | 23000 | 1000 | 80 | Built for French Army | ||
| 15 | 1913 | 130.0 | 15.0 | 23000 | 1000 | 80 | Built for French Army | ||
| 16 | 1913 | 130.0 | 15.0 | 23000 | 1000 | 80 | Built for Russian Army |
See also
References
- D'Orcy, Ladislas (1917). D'Orcy's airship manual; an international register of airships with a compendium of the airship's elementary mechanics. New York: The Century Co. pp. 97–103. OL 7030731M.
- Ignasher, Jim. "The Zodiac Dirigible Airship Company – 1910". New England Aviation History. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
External links
- Zodiac Aerospace company website (English)