Charles Green and his Record Balloon Flight.
Charles Green (1785 – 1870). On January 31 1785 Charles Green was born, who was United Kingdom's most famous balloonist of the 19th century. He experimented with coal gas as a cheaper and more readily available alternative to hydrogen for lifting power. In 1836 Green set a major long distance record in the balloon "Royal Vauxhall", flying overnight from Vauxhall Gardens in London to Weilburg Duchy of Nassau (a distance of 770 km. This record was not broken until 1907. Charles Green joined his father's business after school. His very first ascent in a balloon possibly took place in London around 1821 at the coronation of George IV It is believed that several hundred ascents followed this event and that he ascended in August 1828 at Beckham in Kent Green designed and constructed the Great Nassau balloon in the mid-1830s and made the first ascent from Vauxhall Gardens It is assumed that he was accompanied by eight people and remained in the air for one hour before descendingnear Gravesend. The famous flight from Vauxhall Gardens to Nassau, Germany took place in 1836 as well. They took off at 1:30pm and crossed the channel from Dover just a few hours later. Green and his passengers descended again at the bext day around 7am in Germany. They traveled a distance of 500 miles in a total time period of 18 hours. This record remained unbeaten until 1907 and Green was accompanied by Monck Mason and Robert Hollond who financed the adventure. More than 10 years earlier, Green introduced coal gas as a cheaper substitute for hydrogen, which was put in practice by many following balloonists It is believed that Charles Green planned an Atlantic crossing in a balloon but he never attempted it. Around 1840 Green incorporated presumably the first mechanically driven propeller ever to power an aircraft. At yovisto, you may learn more about the 'History of Ballooning'.