As early as 1783, after the Montgolfier brothers used a hydrogen balloon to ascend, the French Academy of Sciences established the aerial vessel project (PROJET DE MACHINE AROSTATIQUE). Laplace later took charge of it. At the time, Napoleon was still studying at the Paris Military School and was Laplace's student.
Naturally, they would not discuss confidential matters with a student. The project was divided into many branches, one of which developed a seawater desalination machine. Its principle differed from evaporating and condensing seawater through glass vessels. Lavoisier had once decomposed water into oxygen and hydrogen; the hydrogen was used to make aerial vessels, and after combustion, it turned back into water.
Then someone began researching the curvature of aerial vessels. The "aerial vessel blueprints" Georgiana saw were already almost identical to a Zeppelin. The difference was that the "aerial vessel" had not entirely shed the structure of a hot-air balloon. Many ropes were wrapped around the "great balloon," while their other ends were tied to something like a boat, intended to keep it afloat during an emergency landing on water.
The aerial vessel also had "propellers," but they looked like rotating oars. This meant it no longer needed to rely on the wind for steering.
Yet there was no power source on it. Perhaps the soldiers aboard were meant to provide power as if pedaling bicycles. In theory, it could carry thirty men and sixty days' worth of food. Even in the sky, the French were still an army.
The balloon had two layers. The first was filled with ordinary air and served as ballast and a protective covering, shielding the second layer, a "canvas sack" filled with flammable gas.
Pomona remembered that Zeppelins were also filled with hydrogen, which made them highly flammable. Once they caught fire, they were