Celestial Chariot
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The Celestial Chariot was a prototype hot air balloon built by the engineer Yun Pyeong-Gyu of the Zhang Wei Union in 1725, with the assistance of Xialun Qing.[1] It predated the Montgolfière, the first recorded hot air balloon, by several decades.[2]
History
Built using the same concept as a sky lantern, the Celestial Chariot differed from later iterations of hot air balloons in that it was fueled by Greek fire, a near-inextinguishable substance which allowed it to remain in the air for longer periods of time. However, this also came with an increased risk, as if the Greek fire were to somehow spill, it could not be put out with water or other regular means, endangering the life of the pilot.[1]
The Celestial Chariot's first – and only – flight occurred in 1725, when the members of the Zhang Wei Union became trapped on Monkey Island while en route to Cebu, after being attacked by a faction of native resistance fighters led by Rajah. With Rajah's men using mortars against their ship, the Fenghuang, the Union members were unable to pinpoint the locations of the enemy encampments without exposing their own location, leaving them at an impasse.[3]
It was at that moment that Xialun Qing realized the Celestial Chariot could be used to survey the island from above and showed the invention to her fellow Union members. After Yun Pyeong-Gyu explained that the pilot would need to be an extremely light person so the balloon could support their weight, Qing volunteered herself and took flight in the Celestial Chariot. She then marked the locations of all enemy encampments and sent the map back to the Fenghuang, allowing its crew to fire on the rebel strongholds using their own mortars.[1]
However, while the Celestial Chariot was in the sky, a sudden gust of wind caused the Greek fire inside the balloon to spill. As the aircraft became engulfed in flames,[1] Qing parachuted out of the balloon and landed safely on Monkey Island. Her fellow Union members, having witnessed the Celestial Chariot's destruction, initially assumed the worst, but Shimazu Saito was able to confirm that Qing had survived and landed on the island, prompting the crew to go looking for her.[4]
Gallery
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Yun unveiling the balloon -
The Celestial Chariot's destruction
Appearances
References