Airship Project from 1670

This airship was imagined in 1670 by an Italian Jesuit named Francesco Lana de Terzi (1631–1687). It was never seen flying. In fact, it was never seen at all as it was never built.

The four spheres were supposed to be made of thin copper foils, in which a vacuum would have been created, making them lighter than air. In theory, they would have then be able to lift the ship and its passengers. In practice, the spheres would have been crushed by atmospheric pressure.

The caption reads in the original French: Ballon de 1670.