Good Vintage Airship Photograph 1909 – Espana

Below is a bit of history for the production of airships including the Espana, on the back of the photo it has ‘Espagna wreck 1909’ and then a sentence possibly in Spanish, I cant find details for this ship being wrecked but in the photo it doesn’t look good! Comes in good order with some surface marks to the photo, it measures 7 inches x 5.
In 1902, the Spanish engineer Leonardo Torres Quevedo published details of an innovative airship design in Spain and France. With a non-rigid body and internal bracing wires, it overcame the flaws of these types of aircraft as regards both rigid structure (zeppelin type) and flexibility, providing the airships with more stability during flight, and the capability of using heavier engines and a greater passenger load. In 1905, helped by Captain A. Kindelán, he built the airship "España" at the Guadalajara military base. Next year he patented his design without attracting official interest. In 1909 he patented an improved design that he offered to the French Astra company, who started mass-producing it in 1911 as the Astra-Torres airship. The distinctive three-lobed design was widely used during the Great War by the Entente powers.

Code: 24540