Zeppelin and Balloon History

Ballooning in the Ottoman Empire and the Contributions of My Ancestors

The first balloon flights in Istanbul in the 19th century symbolize the beginning of aviation in the Ottoman Empire. During this period, Imperial School of Engineering, achieved significant success in Istanbul.Selim Efendi took off from Istanbul in the autumn of 1801 with a balloon filled with hot air that he had made and landed near Çorlu. This flight went down in history as the first hot air balloon flight in Ottoman territory.

Selim Efendi, who made two more flights in 1802, was appointed as the Dean of the School of Engineering. Unlike the previous ones, Selim Efendi's balloon was presented to the sultan for military purposes. With this innovative approach, it gained an important place in Ottoman aviation history.

A few more insignificant balloon shows were made in Istanbul until the Second Constitutional Era. Most of these attempts, all made by European balloonists, were unsuccessful, and balloon shows lost their former interest over time.

Military Use of Aircraft and Development of Aviation in the Ottoman Empire

With the use of aircraft for military purposes in the Ottoman Empire, the logic and scope of warfare underwent radical changes. Defense gave way to attack. Aviation became a means for powerful states to achieve their national goals with an effect similar to that of the railways about a century ago. In this context, the Ottomans also began to care about the possible effects of this new field. However, the lack of industrial development due to economic inadequacies made development in aviation difficult.

Towards the end of World War I, aviation power attracted the attention of armies as a necessary war element, and aviation technology reached its peak with the Nazis in World War II. With the experiences gained in World War I, military aviation quickly became the most important element of armies.

The practical use of aircraft for the first time in the Picardie Maneuvers held in France in 1910 led the Ottoman Empire, including developed countries, to establish aviation organizations, procure aircraft and provide pilot training to military personnel. While the studies carried out in line with these goals and objectives continued, the first use of aircraft by the Italians in the Tripoli War accelerated the aircraft procurement and institutionalization efforts in the Ottoman Empire. In this case, studies were initiated by the Ministry of War to establish an Aircraft Commission and an Aircraft School and Center so that aviation activities could be carried out.

It is seen that various studies were carried out regarding the initial organization process of the Air Force within the Ottoman army. In the studies in this field, it is seen that the “Aviation Commission” established under the chairmanship of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Süreyya (İlmen) Bey, who carried out very important duties and studies during the establishment process of Turkish aviation, was the first organization of Turkish military aviation and that the Aircraft Commission was established on June 1, 1911.

Modern Zeppelin Projects

Today, while developing modern zeppelin projects, we are inspired by these first aviation initiatives in the Ottoman Empire. New projects supported by innovation and technology are designed to be used for military and civilian purposes. Zeppelins, developed using environmentally friendly and sustainable energy sources, play an important role as the aircraft of the future.

Turkey's Space and Aviation History:

Turkey has a technological past in the field of space and aviation. These journeys, which began in the Ottoman period, gained momentum with the Republic period and have been crowned with important achievements in the international arena today. Here are some important anecdotes and achievements from this success story:

1914: The first military aircraft of the Ottoman Empire, Deperdussin, took flight.

1937: The first air transportation institution of the Republic of Turkey, Devlet Hava Yolları (today Turkish Airlines), was established.

2014: Turkey's first domestic unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), Anka, entered the Turkish Armed Forces inventory.

Attempts to Establish an Aircraft Factory

First Attempt: Hungarian Company and Aircraft School Projects

A Hungarian company attempted to establish an aircraft factory in Istanbul as an important development in Ottoman aviation after the Balkan War. However, this attempt could not be realized. The projects of the Aircraft School to be established are as follows:

-The education period of the school will be 6 months.

-The expenses of the school's teachers and equipment will be covered by the factory.

-The engines will be purchased from a country that the government deems appropriate for now.

-The company will establish a factory next to the school that will produce the most modern aircraft.

-Turkish workers will be employed in time.

-A certain number of aircraft will be kept ready for purchase at any time.

-Civilians will also be given pilot training.

-New inventions will be kept secret.

This project unfortunately did not come true due to the addition of the note "This offer was not accepted and this work was not done" to the protocol prepared while the additional opinions of the Directorate of Manufacturing War were being added.

Second Attempt: Hayri Bey and Rıza Bey

In July 1914, Hayri Bey and Rıza Bey applied to the Tophane Military Factory and conveyed their desire to manufacture aircraft. However, this attempt also failed.

Third Attempt: Aircraft Engine Factory

In 1916, when World War I was ongoing, the Turkish Army's need for aircraft and engine technical personnel was constantly increasing. Captain Bartsch from the German Ministry of War and representatives from the Bonz company came to Istanbul with Bronzin to establish the Aircraft Engine Factory. In the examination, it was evaluated that aircraft production would not be possible due to the Ottoman technical inadequacy. All three of these attempts were unsuccessful.

Ottoman Aviation in World War I

The Ottoman State joined World War I on the side of Germany on November 1, 1914 and was forced to fight on many fronts simultaneously. It started actual combat with the Russians on the Eastern Front. At the beginning of World War I, the Ottoman aviation had only 4-5 aircraft in the inventory of the Yeşilköy Aeroplane School, 3 of which were Bleriot XI-2s, that could perform effective air duty. The number of aircraft capable of performing duties in terms of pilots, equipment, technical equipment, and tactical air units was insufficient and ineffective. During this period, the Ottoman aviation was in financial distress and unsuccessful in terms of command and management. The air element had not yet completed its organization with a history of three years. Being unaware of developments in Europe, not being able to follow them, and lack of information created serious problems.