Intrepid (balloon) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Intrepid |
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| Intrepid being cross-inflated from Constitution in a spur-of-the-moment attempt to get the larger balloon in the air to overlook the imminent Battle of Fair Oaks. | |
| Role | Balloon |
| National origin | USA |
| Manufacturer | Union Army Balloon Corps |
The Intrepid was a special type of balloon. It used Hydrogen gas to float. This balloon was built for the Union Army Balloon Corps. Its job was to fly high and scout, or look, for the enemy during the American Civil War.
It was one of seven balloons made for the Balloon Corps. The Intrepid was one of the four bigger balloons. These larger balloons could fly higher. They could also carry more weight, like telegraph equipment and a person to operate it.
The Intrepid was the favorite balloon of Chief Aeronaut Thaddeus Lowe. He used it to watch over the important Battle of Fair Oaks.
The Battle of Fair Oaks Flight
The flight over the Battle of Fair Oaks was very important. It helped save the Union Army. A part of General Samuel P. Heintzelman's army was in danger. They might have been defeated by the Confederate forces.
The Intrepid was taking a long time to fill with gas. To speed things up, they connected it to a smaller balloon called the Constitution. They used a camp kettle with its bottom removed to transfer the gas. This helped the Intrepid get into the air much faster.
In 1983, the United States Postal Service honored the Intrepid. They put its picture on a postage stamp.
How the Intrepid Was Built
The Intrepid was a large balloon. It could hold 32,000 cubic feet of Hydrogen gas. This gas made the balloon float.
The hydrogen gas was made on site. Special wagons created by Thaddeus Lowe did this. These wagons mixed sulfuric acid with iron filings. This chemical reaction produced the hydrogen gas needed to inflate the balloon.
