structural:expansion
Observation Balloon

Observation balloons were deployed as early as the American Civil War and used as reconnaissance towers. The first military funded balloon in America was designed by Thaddeus Lowe on August 2, 1861 for the Union. His design utilized gas from municipal lines to inflate the balloon as he did not have access to a portable generator. Observation balloons during this time were all made using multicolored-silk, wicker baskets, and were vertically oriented and tear shaped. Hydrogen, or illumination gas became the most used inflation fuel by the 20th Century, as it was lighter than air. Observation balloon usage skyrocketed in Britain by the Royal Engineers at the end of the 19th Century, deploying to Sudan in 1885 and to South Africa during the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902.