David Schwarz

David Schwarz (Croatian: David Švarc, pronounced [dǎʋit ʃʋârt͡s]; 20 December 1850 – 13 January 1897) was a Croatian-Hungarian aviation pioneer born in the Austrian Empire. He is known for creating an airship with a rigid envelope made entirely of metal. . Schwarz died only months before the airship was flown. Some sources have claimed that Count Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin purchased Schwarz's airship patent from his widow, a claim which has been disputed. He was the father of the opera and operetta soprano Vera Schwarz (1888–1964).