France: Early Flight - 'Zambeccari et ses deux compagnons dans l'Adriatique,1804' (Zambeccari and his two companions in the Adriatic, 1804), Paris, Romanet, c. 1895

A balloon is conceptually the simplest of all flying machines. The balloon is a fabric envelope filled with a gas that is lighter than the surrounding atmosphere. As the entire balloon is less dense than its surroundings, it rises, taking along with it a basket, attached underneath, which carries passengers or payload.

Although a balloon has no propulsion system, a degree of directional control is possible through making the balloon rise or sink in altitude to find favorable wind directions.

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