Now Available: Historic Airship Replica Santos-Dumont No. 9

Alberto Santos-Dumont, son of a rich plantation-owner developed early a fascination with flight. As adult he moved over to Paris - back then one of the hot spots of early aviation - and soon became known as constructor of airships. He built several models and did fly them at exhibitions and contests. His favourite model was the No. 9, which he gave the nickname "Baladeuse" - "cart". It was his most compact airship and it seems to have been quite ideal to casually fly with it over the rooftops of Paris and land in front of a café for a coffee break, which he did!

I built this replica after historical photographs and modern reconstructions to get all the little details right.  It was a welcome challenge, after not really building much over the summer and I went really nuts on the engine, which makes it quite surprising even to myself that it has a land impact of only 8!
Special thanks to my friends Jack Tracker, who gave me the idea of building it, and Prof. Zen Wickentower, who spend a lot of effort in creating a historical correct flying pose for it!

The Santos-Dumon No. 9 now available at the Drow Science Showroom and at my Marketplace Store. Also feel free to drop by at the Baitoushan Aviation Museum, where it is currently on exhibition: