This article is about the chemist, professor and balloonist. For the 17th century Frenchastronomer, see Jean Picard.
Jean Felix Piccard (January 28, 1884 in Basel, Switzerland – January 28, 1963 in Minneapolis, Minnesota), also known as Jean Piccard, was a Swiss-born American chemist, engineer, professor and high-altitude balloonist. He invented clustered high-altitude balloons, and with his wife Jeannette, the plastic balloon. Piccard's inventions and co-inventions are used in balloon flight, aircraft and spacecraft.
Jean Piccard
Jean Piccard visiting Brigham Young University in 1938
Piccard and Jeannette Ridlon met at the University of Chicago where he taught and she received her master's degree. They married and had three sons, John, Paul and Donald, and also had foster children.[1][2]
Stratosphere flight
Piccard signing autographs at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair
Piccard was the co-pilot for his wife Jeannette on the third and final voyage of the Century of Progress. The largest balloon in the world was conceived for him to fly at the World's Fair in 1933 but was flown there by US Navy pilots who were licensed.[3] After this flight he created the liquid oxygen converter when the liquid failed to vaporize on descent after the cabin doors were open.[4] Piccard developed a frost-free window, that was used on this flight and later by the Navy and Air Force in the B-24 Liberator or B-26 Marauder. He used blasting caps and TNT for releasing the balloon at launch and for remote release of external ballast from inside the sealed cabin. This was the first use of pyrotechnics for remote-controlled actuating devices in aircraft, an unpopular, revolutionary idea at the time. Later his student Robert R. Gilruth, who became the director of the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center, approved and used them in spacecraft.[5][6]
The July 21st, 1952 issue of The Canberra Times newspaper printed an incorrect front-page article in which Dr. Piccard claimed it would be possible for humans to fly to Mars with balloons as early as 1954, if anyone was willing to invest $250,000. Dr. Piccard had claimed he would study the light from Mars through a spectroscope to try to find evidence of oxygen and water at a high altitude to ensure his measurements were as precise as possible.
Piccard with his wife co-invented the plastic balloon[9] and he designed and on 24 June 1936[10] flew a cellophane balloon built by his students. The balloon was unmanned, 25 feet (7.6 meters) wide, and made of tapered 33-foot (10-meter) gores and one-inch (2.54-cm) 3MScotch transparent tape. Jean Barnhill, Harold Larson and Lloyd Schumacher cut the gores that fit together like an "orange peel." Harold Hatlestad built the radio equipment and Robert Silliman built the telemeter[11] that sent temperature and pressure data back. Robert Hatch and Silliman maintained radio contact from a station on the roof of the university armory until the radio's battery froze from insufficient insulation.[8][12] The balloon floated at 50,000 feet, and in ten hours traveled over 600 miles to near Huntsville, Arkansas.[8][13]
Cluster balloons
Developed with John Akerman of the University of Minnesota and piloted by Jean Piccard in 1937 in Rochester, Minnesota, the first multi-celled balloon was called The Pleiades and was made of 98 latex rubber balloons. In a letter to Robert Gray of the Dewey and Almy Chemical Co. later published in Time magazine, Piccard describes how he broke balloons with a hunting knife and revolver to control his descent. A TNT charge released the cluster as he expected but sent burning excelsior down that destroyed the first Pleiades. He suggested to Gray that rock wool in place of excelsior would prevent similar accidents in the future.[14]
Balloon research stopped for the most part during World War II.[15]
In February 1946 with Otto C. Winzen, Jean Piccard proposed manned flight to the US Navy using clustered balloons made of thin plastic. In June the Office of Naval Research approved Project Helios and that year General Mills and the University of Minnesota contracted to build a cluster of 100 polyethylene balloons for atmospheric research.[16][17]Helios was designed to reach 100,000 feet for ten hours with a payload of instruments.[18]
Jean Piccard helped Winzen design the Skyhook polyethylene balloons that replaced Project Helios in 1947. Skyhook balloons were used unmanned for atmospheric research by the Navy and for manned flights by the US Air Force.[16][19] Later Jean Piccard developed electronics for emptying ballast bags.[4]
Piccard died on January 28, 1963 (his 79th birthday) in Minneapolis.
Piccard family
Jules Piccard (professor of chemistry)
Auguste Piccard (physicist, aeronaut, balloonist, hydronaut)
^University of California et al. [and informal sources on Jean Piccard talk page] (2003). . Archived from the original on 2010-06-26. Retrieved 2007-01-27.
^Piccard, Elizabeth via National Public Radio (January 23, 2004). "Talk of the Nation: Science on Stage". NPR. Retrieved 2007-01-29.
^Unknown author (n.d.). "To Leave the Earth" (PDF). US Department of the Navy - Navy Historical Center. Retrieved 2007-01-26. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
^ abUS Centennial of Flight Commission (2003). . Archived from the original on 2006-09-23. Retrieved 2007-01-27.
^Piccard, Don (2005). "Balloon Information Resources: The Beginning". Retrieved 2007-01-28.
^Kraft, Christopher Jr. (2004). "Robert R. Gilruth in Biographical Memoirs V.84 92-111". National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 2007-01-30.
^Gruppenbild der Montagemannschaft, 1914.01.01-1918.12.31, Archives fédérales suisses
^ abcWinker, J. A., via sample page (1986). . American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-01-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Robert Rechs (November 21, 1983). "Who's Who of Ballooning - P". Retrieved 2007-01-27.
^University of Minnesota Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics: Professor Jean F. Piccard's Contribution to Balloon Flight
^Gilruth, Dr. Robert (May 14, 1986). . Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Archived from the original on February 17, 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-27.
^Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics (AEM) Department (July 23, 2004). "Some Notable Early Faculty Members". University of Minnesota. Retrieved 2007-01-27.
^Akerman, John D.; Piccard, Jean F. (1937). "Upper Air Study by Means of Balloons and the Radio Meteorograph". Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences. The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). 4 (8): 332–337. doi:10.2514/8.423. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
^Piccard, Jean via Robert Gray (August 16, 1937). . Time. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved 2007-01-27.
^Goebel, Greg (July 1, 2006). . Archived from the original on July 19, 2006. Retrieved 2007-02-01.
^ abUS Department of the Navy - Navy Historical Center (July 24, 2003). "Navy in Space Chronology, 1945 - 1981". Retrieved 2007-01-27.
^Goodsell, Suzy (August 4, 2011). "The "daddy" of the balloon industry". General Mills blog website. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
^Unknown author (n.d.). "Manned" (PDF). US Department of the Navy - Navy Historical Center. Retrieved 2007-01-26. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
^Stekel, Peter (August 1997). . Balloon Life Magazine. Archived from the original on 2007-02-16. Retrieved 2007-01-26.
^Sprekelmeyer, Linda, editor. These We Honor: The International Aerospace Hall of Fame. Donning Co. Publishers, 2006. ISBN978-1-57864-397-4.
^"Star Trek's Jean-Luc Picard & Solar Impulse's Bertrand Piccard – The Connection". YouTube. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
External links
University of Minnesota Archives (2002). "Jean Felix Piccard Papers". Retrieved 2007-01-24.
Stratosphere Balloon Falls. Universal City Studios: Universal Newsreels via Internet Archive. August 7, 1933. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
jean, piccard, this, article, about, chemist, professor, balloonist, 17th, century, french, astronomer, jean, picard, jean, felix, piccard, january, 1884, basel, switzerland, january, 1963, minneapolis, minnesota, also, known, swiss, born, american, chemist, e. This article is about the chemist professor and balloonist For the 17th century French astronomer see Jean Picard Jean Felix Piccard January 28 1884 in Basel Switzerland January 28 1963 in Minneapolis Minnesota also known as Jean Piccard was a Swiss born American chemist engineer professor and high altitude balloonist He invented clustered high altitude balloons and with his wife Jeannette the plastic balloon Piccard s inventions and co inventions are used in balloon flight aircraft and spacecraft Jean PiccardJean Piccard visiting Brigham Young University in 1938Born 1884 01 28 January 28 1884Basel SwitzerlandDiedJanuary 28 1963 1963 01 28 aged 79 Minneapolis United StatesNationalitySwiss and from 1931 AmericanOccupation s chemist engineer professor and balloonistSpouseJeannette RidlonChildrenDon Piccard son RelativesAuguste Piccard brother Jacques Piccard nephew Alma materETH Zurich phd 1909Scientific careerFieldsInorganic chemistryInstitutionsUniversity of Munich University of Lausanne University of Chicago University of MinnesotaThesisUeber Konstitution und Farbe der Chinonimine 1909 Doctoral advisorRichard Willstatter Contents 1 Family 2 Stratosphere flight 3 Plastic balloons 4 Cluster balloons 5 Piccard family 6 Legacy 7 Notes and references 8 External linksFamily EditPiccard and Jeannette Ridlon met at the University of Chicago where he taught and she received her master s degree They married and had three sons John Paul and Donald and also had foster children 1 2 Stratosphere flight Edit Piccard signing autographs at the 1933 Chicago World s Fair Piccard was the co pilot for his wife Jeannette on the third and final voyage of the Century of Progress The largest balloon in the world was conceived for him to fly at the World s Fair in 1933 but was flown there by US Navy pilots who were licensed 3 After this flight he created the liquid oxygen converter when the liquid failed to vaporize on descent after the cabin doors were open 4 Piccard developed a frost free window that was used on this flight and later by the Navy and Air Force in the B 24 Liberator or B 26 Marauder He used blasting caps and TNT for releasing the balloon at launch and for remote release of external ballast from inside the sealed cabin This was the first use of pyrotechnics for remote controlled actuating devices in aircraft an unpopular revolutionary idea at the time Later his student Robert R Gilruth who became the director of the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center approved and used them in spacecraft 5 6 The July 21st 1952 issue of The Canberra Times newspaper printed an incorrect front page article in which Dr Piccard claimed it would be possible for humans to fly to Mars with balloons as early as 1954 if anyone was willing to invest 250 000 Dr Piccard had claimed he would study the light from Mars through a spectroscope to try to find evidence of oxygen and water at a high altitude to ensure his measurements were as precise as possible Plastic balloons Edit Jean Piccard left with his brother Auguste right during World War I 7 In 1935 and 1936 to reduce weight and thus enabling a balloon to reach higher altitudes plastic balloon construction began independently by Max Cosyns in Belgium Erich Regener in Germany and Thomas H Johnson and Jean Piccard then at the Franklin Institute s Bartol Research Foundation in Swarthmore Pennsylvania Johnson suggested cellophane to Jean Piccard 8 Piccard with his wife co invented the plastic balloon 9 and he designed and on 24 June 1936 10 flew a cellophane balloon built by his students The balloon was unmanned 25 feet 7 6 meters wide and made of tapered 33 foot 10 meter gores and one inch 2 54 cm 3M Scotch transparent tape Jean Barnhill Harold Larson and Lloyd Schumacher cut the gores that fit together like an orange peel Harold Hatlestad built the radio equipment and Robert Silliman built the telemeter 11 that sent temperature and pressure data back Robert Hatch and Silliman maintained radio contact from a station on the roof of the university armory until the radio s battery froze from insufficient insulation 8 12 The balloon floated at 50 000 feet and in ten hours traveled over 600 miles to near Huntsville Arkansas 8 13 Cluster balloons EditDeveloped with John Akerman of the University of Minnesota and piloted by Jean Piccard in 1937 in Rochester Minnesota the first multi celled balloon was called The Pleiades and was made of 98 latex rubber balloons In a letter to Robert Gray of the Dewey and Almy Chemical Co later published in Time magazine Piccard describes how he broke balloons with a hunting knife and revolver to control his descent A TNT charge released the cluster as he expected but sent burning excelsior down that destroyed the first Pleiades He suggested to Gray that rock wool in place of excelsior would prevent similar accidents in the future 14 Balloon research stopped for the most part during World War II 15 In February 1946 with Otto C Winzen Jean Piccard proposed manned flight to the US Navy using clustered balloons made of thin plastic In June the Office of Naval Research approved Project Helios and that year General Mills and the University of Minnesota contracted to build a cluster of 100 polyethylene balloons for atmospheric research 16 17 Helios was designed to reach 100 000 feet for ten hours with a payload of instruments 18 Jean Piccard helped Winzen design the Skyhook polyethylene balloons that replaced Project Helios in 1947 Skyhook balloons were used unmanned for atmospheric research by the Navy and for manned flights by the US Air Force 16 19 Later Jean Piccard developed electronics for emptying ballast bags 4 Piccard died on January 28 1963 his 79th birthday in Minneapolis Piccard family EditJules Piccard professor of chemistry Auguste Piccard physicist aeronaut balloonist hydronaut Jacques Piccard hydronaut Bertrand Piccard aeronaut balloonist Jean Felix Piccard organic chemist aeronaut and balloonist Jeannette Piccard wife of Jean Felix aeronaut and balloonist Don Piccard balloonist Legacy EditIn 1991 Piccard was inducted into the International Air amp Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air amp Space Museum 20 Gene Roddenberry named the Star Trek character Jean Luc Picard after either Jean or his twin Auguste and it is implied that the character is a descendant of one of the brothers The Swiss explorer and environmentalist Bertrand Piccard claims that it was after his great uncle Jean Piccard 21 Notes and references Edit University of California et al and informal sources on Jean Piccard talk page 2003 Living With A Star 3 Balloon Rocket Mission Scientific Ballooning Archived from the original on 2010 06 26 Retrieved 2007 01 27 Piccard Elizabeth via National Public Radio January 23 2004 Talk of the Nation Science on Stage NPR Retrieved 2007 01 29 Unknown author n d To Leave the Earth PDF US Department of the Navy Navy Historical Center Retrieved 2007 01 26 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a author has generic name help a b US Centennial of Flight Commission 2003 Jean Piccard Archived from the original on 2006 09 23 Retrieved 2007 01 27 Piccard Don 2005 Balloon Information Resources The Beginning Retrieved 2007 01 28 Kraft Christopher Jr 2004 Robert R Gilruth in Biographical Memoirs V 84 92 111 National Academy of Sciences Retrieved 2007 01 30 Gruppenbild der Montagemannschaft 1914 01 01 1918 12 31 Archives federales suisses a b c Winker J A via sample page 1986 Scientific ballooning past and present American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Archived from the original on 2007 09 27 Retrieved 2007 01 28 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Robert Rechs November 21 1983 Who s Who of Ballooning P Retrieved 2007 01 27 University of Minnesota Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics Professor Jean F Piccard s Contribution to Balloon Flight Gilruth Dr Robert May 14 1986 NASM Oral History Project Gilruth 2 Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Archived from the original on February 17 2007 Retrieved 2007 01 27 Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics AEM Department July 23 2004 Some Notable Early Faculty Members University of Minnesota Retrieved 2007 01 27 Akerman John D Piccard Jean F 1937 Upper Air Study by Means of Balloons and the Radio Meteorograph Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics AIAA 4 8 332 337 doi 10 2514 8 423 Retrieved March 14 2015 Piccard Jean via Robert Gray August 16 1937 Egg Shell Landing Time Archived from the original on October 22 2012 Retrieved 2007 01 27 Goebel Greg July 1 2006 A Short History Of Balloons amp Ballooning 3 0 The Stratosphere Expeditions Archived from the original on July 19 2006 Retrieved 2007 02 01 a b US Department of the Navy Navy Historical Center July 24 2003 Navy in Space Chronology 1945 1981 Retrieved 2007 01 27 Goodsell Suzy August 4 2011 The daddy of the balloon industry General Mills blog website Retrieved 2015 03 15 Unknown author n d Manned PDF US Department of the Navy Navy Historical Center Retrieved 2007 01 26 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a author has generic name help Stekel Peter August 1997 Don Piccard 50 Years of Ballooning Memories Balloon Life Magazine Archived from the original on 2007 02 16 Retrieved 2007 01 26 Sprekelmeyer Linda editor These We Honor The International Aerospace Hall of Fame Donning Co Publishers 2006 ISBN 978 1 57864 397 4 Star Trek s Jean Luc Picard amp Solar Impulse s Bertrand Piccard The Connection YouTube Retrieved 2021 11 30 External links EditDon Piccard 50 Years of Ballooning Memories University of Minnesota Archives 2002 Jean Felix Piccard Papers Retrieved 2007 01 24 Stratosphere Balloon Falls Universal City Studios Universal Newsreels via Internet Archive August 7 1933 Retrieved January 16 2010 Portal Aviation Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jean Piccard amp oldid 1133506035, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
