Tissandier electric airship. 19th-century illustration of the electrically powered airship developed by the French brothers Albert (1839-1906) and Gaston Tissandier (1843-1899). Its first flight was from Auteuil, Paris, France, on 8 October 1883. This was the first-ever electrically powered flight. The airship was 28 metres long and over 9 metres in diameter at its centre. A Siemens electric motor powered the propeller. Artwork from 'Aerostation - Aviation' (1911) by French civil engineer Max de Nansouty (1854-1913), part of the 'Les merveilles de la science' series of 1867-1891 by Louis Figuier.