Léon Delagrange’s Voisin aircraft flying
probably on 30 March 1907 at Bagatelle (in the Bois de Boulogne). The pilot is
Charles Voisin. The longest flight achieved that day was 60 metres. Delagrange
himself does not seem to have started flying the machine regularly until 1
November 1907, although he made some very short flights in July of that year.
Note the biplane front elevator and the large rudders (fitted on both sides) behind
the tail. These were later replaced by a single rudder in the centre of the
tail.
References here, except where noted
otherwise, are to the newspaper Le Matin
L’Aérophile, March 1907, pp. 63-5
‘L’aéroplane Delagrange’
Mechanical flight today is a problem of
concern not only to technicians. Modern ‘conquistadores’ will give man the vast
empire of the air. To this end a great variety of energy and intelligence is
turned. There are ‘sportsmen’, engineers, skilled workmen, men of knowledge,
and artists
Among the latter, a young sculptor who has
sent pieces to recent salons – M. Léon Delagrange – has decided to move from
theoretical study to direct experiment. He has ordered from the Voisin
brothers, at Billancourt, an interesting airplane, to be described here.
It has two ‘sustaining surfaces’, cloth
covered, superimposed, of 10 metres span and 1.8 metres fore and aft [chord]. A
quadrangular fuselage [sic], cloth covered, carries at its front end an
elevator [‘gouverneur de profondeur’] with two planes; and at its rear the light
seat [‘banquette’] on which the aviator sits – with the motor behind him (a 50
hp Antoinette, driving a two bladed propeller with a steel hub and aluminium
blades of 2.3 metres diameter).
The tail is connected to the wings by four
wooden longerons, with stays and braces. The tail consists of a cellular
[biplane] structure with two horizontal planes and three vertical partitions,
behind which is a vertical rudder.
The aircraft rolls on three tyred wheels
with a suspension of shock absorbing springs [‘ressorts amortisseurs’]. Two
wheels are under the wings, and one under the tail. The lifting surface is 60
square metres, and the weight, 290 kg.
The first trials of the aircraft were at
the ‘polygone’ of Vincennes on 28 February. If any accident happened to delay
flight, it is only a matter of delay. The aircraft is among the most
interesting and will surely fly.
Around 2.30 p.m. on the 28th
February the aeroplane arrived (disassembled) at the trial field, carried on
three trucks [‘camions’] which were escorted by an annoying crowd of children
[‘gamins’] from Vincennes. Delagrange was present, at the western corner of the
field, where other notables of the automobile and
p.65
aeronautical world also looked on. Those noted as present were MM.
Santos-Dumont, Archdeacon (president of the aviation commission of the AéroClub
de France), Henry Kapferer (who will soon start trials of his own airplane),
the comte de Fayolle (president of the AéroClub {or Automobile Club} and a
fanatical supporter of all mechanical locomotion], Robert-Guérin, Paulhan,
etc.; and many officers from the Vincennes garrison.
Assembly of the aircraft by the Voisin
brothers took an hour. The machine had a seductive appearance, and admirable
finish. It was placed into the wind (light, from the north-east). But the
ground was very soft and uneven, which made reaching take-off speed hard.
Gabriel Voisin took the pilot’s seat. The
motor was started, and the aircraft released. It gained moderate speed with the
thrust from its propeller (some 15 kph). The machine ran for some 50 metres,
and then the fuselage broke just aft of the main wings. (A photograph of the
machine in this state is on p. 64.) The
propeller, hitting the ground, was bent; but the motor was undamaged. But the
damage was less than it appeared. The machine will be repaired in a few days.
Voisin, the pilot, was unhurt, and showed remarkable sang-froid.
Thanks to Colonel Bon, Delagrange has
placed his machine in a place that belongs to the dragoons at Vincennes, only a
few metres from the ‘polygone’. He will be able to continue trials there.
…………………………………….
1 March 1907
p.2
‘Un aéroplane se brise pendant le premier essai’
The first trial of Delagrange’s plane took
place on 28 February 1907. Present were Santos-Dumont, Delagrange, Archdeacon,
Kapferer, de Fayolle and many photographers and cinematographers. The trial
took place at the ‘polygone de Vincennes’. The aircraft has an 8 cylinder, 50
hp motor [an Antoinette]. The propeller is 2.1 metres long. The wing area is 60
square metres. The aircraft was quickly assembled under the eyes of the Voisin
brothers, the builders. The motor was tried. Gabriel Voisin took his place in
the fuselage, with controls for the elevator [‘équilibreur’] and the rudder.
The aircraft ran some 50 metres at moderate speed, then reared up. With the
nose up, the propeller hit the ground, and bent. Voisin calmly cut the ignition
and left the machine. Repair will be easy. The propeller is just bent, and a
few struts are broken. The accident was probably caused by a shift of weight at
the aircraft was about to take off. Progress comes by trial, error, and
modification. The aircraft has been placed in a hangar lent to Delagrange by
the military government of Paris at the
dragoons’ barracks at Vincennes (caserne des dragons de Vincennes’).
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
23 March 1907, La Vie au Grand Air, No. 444
François Peyrey, [on the first flight of
the Voisin/Delagrange biplane at Bagatelle, 16 March 1907]
Charles Voisin was the pilot. The aircraft
had 30 kilograms of reinforcement of its structure. Voisin made 5 attempts at
flight. On the first three he struggled against the annoying tendency of the
machine to swerve left (and also against the annoying tendency of the
spectating crowd to get in the way).
On the fourth try, at 3 p.m., the aircraft
flew some 10 metres at 75 cms height [a picture shows it with the port wing
low]; and again at 3.45 p.m.. Delagrange and the Voisins are to be
congratulated. [This is the first flight of a powered aircraft built by the
Voisin brothers.]
Their ‘flight studies’ will continue at
Vincennes where, though the ground is much less easy to taxi on [‘roulant’]
than the training field [at Bagatelle?], there is fencing to protect the public
from its own imprudence, and the aviators from the public.
The dimension of the aircraft: span, 10
metres; chord of wing, 1.8 metres; motor, 50 hp; propeller, 2.3 metres diameter;
lifting surface, 60 square metres; elevator [‘gouvernail de profondeur’] at
front; a biplane [‘cellulaire’] tail at the rear; a vertical rudder
[‘gouvernail vertical’].
………………………………………………
6 April 1907, La Vie au Grand Air, No. 446
François Peyrey, ‘L’Aéroplane Delagrange a
volé’
On 30 March Charles Voisin flew the machine
60 metres, at a height of 2-4 metres. The flight, at 12.30 on the ‘pelouse de
Bagatelle’ [in the Bois de Boulogne] took 6 seconds. [This was the second
occasion of Charles Voisin’s flying the machine.] This flight confirms the
promise of the aircraft shown on 16 March [above].
Charles Voisin made several attempts at
flight, with one hop [‘essor’]. The aircraft showed a tendency to turn left, so
weight was added to the right wing. After that it flew straight. Peyrey
attributes the left turn tendency to a torque effect from the propeller.
Stability was perfect, and the landing gentle on rubber tired wheels. After the
flight the Voisin brothers ‘threw themselves into each other’s arms, very
emotionally’, and Santos-Dumont, who was present, applauded.
The propeller has a steel arms and
aluminium blades. The total weight is 290 kilos. [That seems surprisingly low.
Later examples of basically the same airplane weighed over 500 kilos] The tail
is attached with four ‘light longerons’ of wood, braced and guyed [‘bois
entretoisés et haubanés’]. The ‘fleet’ of flying machines now consists of
aircraft of Santos-Dumont, Delagrange, Vuia, and Blériot; to which will soon be
added [those of] Henry de La Vaulx, Archdeacon, E and P Zens, H Kapferer,
Ferber, Levavasseur, Vinet, Fauber, Melvin-Vaneman, Barlatier-Blanc, E Seux,
Solirène, Léger, Cornu, Robert, Colomb ‘et tutti quanti’. [Some of whom seem
not to have gone any further.]
………………………………………….
L’Aérophile, April 1907, pp. 103-106. ‘Nouveaux essais de l’aéroplane
Delagrange. Un troisième engin automoteur plus lourd que l’air, monté, réussit,
en France, à quitter le sol, en vol libre et franchit 60 mètres.’
AFter Santos-Dumont’s and Vuia’s flights, a third aircraft has succeeded
in taking to the air in France. This is the Delagrange aircraft, built by the
Voisin brothers.
On 7 March the aircraft was taken to the
‘polygone’ of Vincennes, behind the dragoons’ site. The main purpose was to see
if the repair made after 28 February was adequate [the fuselage had broken just
behind the wings]. The field at Vincennes is completely closed, but rough and
with ruts. The aircraft was placed into wind (a breeze of 5-6 metres/second). Charles
Voisin took the pilot’s seat. He is a little heavier than Gabriel; but Gabriel
had wished to see the aircraft perform the better to judge its qualities and
faults.
At 4.20 p.m. the aircraft moved slowly
forward, under power. It seemed to grow lighter, so that the problems caused by
the roughness of the ground were lessened [the wings are presumably providing
some lift]. After 20-30 metres, Charles Voisin moves his controls and the
wheels are no longer on the ground. But at the same time the machine seemed to
pitch up, as on 28 February. Two vertical pieces had failed at the junction of
the rear and the wings. The propeller touched the ground and was bent. Charles
Voisin was unhurt and emerged smiling.
The aircraft was lifting at a moderate speed of perhaps 20 kph. The
ignition had not been advanced [to increase engine revolutions}. With the
engine at full power there should be an excess of lifting force.
This prediction was confirmed on 16 March,
when the aircraft flew. This happened at Bagatelle, where Santos-Dumont made
his first flights.
p. 104
[On this page are line drawing of Delagrange’s aircraft, seen from the
left side and from the top. Dimensions are included.] s
The aircraft had been reinforced at the
places [just behind the wing] where it had shown weakness. Weight increased by some
30 kg.
On 16 March, five attempts at flight were
made. The first was a ground run at
11.15 a.m., to test the solidity of the aircraft. Some 200 metres were covered
at slow speed.
On a second trial, at midday, one of the
front wheels left the ground.
After lunch, true attempts at take off were
made. At 2.45 the aircraft made a run, without lifting, and drifted left. This
trial was repeated, and, after a run of
80-90 metres the machine clearly left the ground for about 10 metres (after a
barely perceptible movement of the forward elevator). The pilot cut the
ignition, fearing a drift to port. The last trial, at 3.45 p.m., produced a
very clear flight – but it was interrupted by the imprudence of spectators, who
were in the way. Gabriel Voisin had given his place, for these trials, to his
brother Charles – who seemed to gain confidence with each attempt. The wind was
quite strong from the east or south-east, but irregular, with quick changes in
speed and direction.
Since too large a crowd was gathering, the
machine was dissassebled and taken back
to Billancourt.
Back at Vincennes, on 21 March, the men
pushing the plane into position broke parts of the wing and the lower fuselage.
The damage was not severe, but had to be repaired.
On 30 March, Charles Voisin piloted the
plane to definitive success. It was only one month after the first trials. This
was at Bagatelle, definitely a better launching ground than Vincennes. Present
were Santos-Dumont, Robert Esnault-Pelterie, Henry Kapferer, Forestier,
François Peyrey, André Fournier, Robert-Guérin, G. de Lafreté, and others. Delagrange
placed his aircraft into wind, at the bottom of the slope that comes down from
the Suresnes road toward the vast area of grass. Charles Voisin was the pilot.
The first sortie was just a trial run, to test that all was in order.
On the second attempt, the plane flew at 80
centimetres for about 20 metres. At 11.50 a.m. it flew at 2 metres height for
25 metres (in 4 1/5 seconds). But propeller rotation made it bank left.
A copper cylinder weighing 2 kg was added
to the right wing tip. Further flying was blocked by the crowd – sympathetic
but in the way. But the arrival of lunch time drew the merely curious away.
Only some fifteen ‘fanatics’ stayed.
At 12.45 p.m. Ch. Voisin tried again. The
aircraft rose to 2-4 metres. It was fully stable this time, and flew 60 metres
in 6 seconds – i.e. at 36 kph. There seemed no reason why the flight should not
have continued indefinitely. But Ch. Voisin had thought the demonstration
sufficient for the day.
After modifications the Voisin airplane now
weighs 450 kilograms [a considerable weight gain from the initial 290 k.].
L’Aérophile sincerely congratulates Léon Delagrange. He has great faith in
aviation, and has fully engaged with it. Now his ‘fine audacity’ has been
rewarded. Delagrange wishes that great credit should also go to the Voisin
brothers. The two young Lyonnais have
come to Paris to practice aviation, equipped only with their energy and
enthusiasm.
p. 106
[The article contrasts French aviation with the car industry there] The
latter has ten years of experience now, whereas aviation is just beginning, and
has little experience to draw on. Calculations are still based on uncertainty.
Aviation builders are still concerned that they may make aircraft too heavy –
in which case they will not fly – or to light, in which case they will lack
strength. Flights to date are modest, certainly; but they will soon be longer,
and the first difficulties of mechanical flight have been overcome. Other
difficulties, such as those of balance, will be resolved in due course. The
year 1907 has begun well for aviators.
The magazine corrects its earlier statement
that the propeller diameter on the Voisin machine is 2.3 metres; it is 2.1. Its
pitch is 1.05 metres. On 21 March two rudders were added to the rear extreme of
the tail assembly. This change increased the aircraft’s weight.
[The praise of Delagrange, and respect for
him, expressed in this article are slightly surprising. He is not flying the
aircraft, and has not contributed to its design. He has merely bought it from
the Voisin brothers. But L’Aérophile’s
attitude towards him probably reflects the state of French aviation at the
time. It is the buyers of aircraft who are seen as pushing French flying
forward, not so much the builders and possessors of technical knowledge. The
amateur of flight is the propulsive force. On the other hand, the article is
fulsome in its praise of the Voisin brothers. This is their first successful
machine, and was in the rest of 1907 to show itself the most advanced of all
French machines.]
………………………………………….
9 April 1907,
p. 4
Bagatelle. Delagrange tried
yesterday to win the Archdeacon cup now held by Santos-Dumont [in the 14bis,
presumably] for a 220 metre flight. Archdeacon was present. After he had marked
out a part of the lawn with bags of plaster, Charles Voisin flew about 50
metres, at a height of some 3 metres. At that point the aircraft came over a group of
spectators who did not get out of the way quickly enough. Voisin, fearing an
accident, cut the ignition. The aircraft, still very stable, landed. Its wheels
and frame were slightly bent, but there was no other damage. [The difficulty
with Bagatelle was its openness to the public and its quite small size relative
to the speed of the aircraft. It is interesting to see that Voisin marked out
an area for his flight; but it was not big enough (or he went off track), and
he had to stop.]
…………………………………………
10 April 1907
p. 4
Delagrange is thinking of designing [‘établir’] a new aircraft with a
much smaller [wing?] surface. The Voisin brothers, who made the Delagrange appareils [plural sic], would be willing
to make a monoplane on the Langlet [Langley, presumably] system. Vuia has just
finished a new aircraft, a modification of his No. 1. It will be fitted with a kerosene
(‘pétrole’) motor or a small steam turbine.
………………………………………..
L’Aérophile of May 1907, pp. 103-106, adds some detail to earlier accounts. [Only what is not said above is included here]
The first attempt at flying the Delagrange
machine was made on 28 February 1907. The fuselage broke behind the wing. After
repairs, another attempt was made at Vincennes on 7 March. The fuselage again
broke aft of the wing. On 16 March, this time at Bagatelle (in the Bois de
Boulogne), after strengthening of the fuselage, five trials were made, with
brief flights (of c. 12 metres) on the fourth and fifth attempts. On 21 March,
again at Bagatelle, the aircraft suffered light damage to the lower wing and
fuselage. Finally, on 30 March at Bagatelle, at 12.45 p.m., came full success,
with the aircraft flying, on its fourth attempt, some 60 metres at a height 2-4
metres. Present were Santos-Dumont, Esnault-Pelterie, Kapferer, Forestier,
François Peyrey, André Fournier, Robert-Guérin, G. de Lafreté, and others. Spectators
were in the way, but many left for lunch, which made the field less crowded.
The 60 metre flight took 6 seconds. Speed was therefore 36 kph. The aircraft
weight, after modifications, was 450 kg.
………………………………………….
9 April 1907,
p. 4
Bagatelle. Delagrange tried
yesterday to win the Archdeacon cup now held by Santos-Dumont [in the 14bis,
presumably] for a 220 metre flight. Archdeacon was present. After he had marked
out a part of the lawn with bags of plaster, Charles Voisin flew about 50
metres, at a height of some 3 metres. At the point the aircraft came over a
group of spectators who did not get out of the way quickly enough. Voisin,
fearing an accident, cut the ignition. The aircraft, still very stable, landed.
Its wheels and frame were slightly bent, but there was no other damage. [The
difficulty with Bagatelle was its openness to the public and its quite small
size relative to the speed of the aircraft. It is interesting to see that
Voisin marked out an area for his flight; but it was not big enough, and he had
to stop.]
…………………………………………
12 May 1907
p. 6
There are rumours that Delagrange is abandoning trials of his aircraft.
The ‘sympathique aviateur’ has firmly denied this to Le Matin. His lack of activity has been the result of bad weather,
lack of suitable space, and the business of the builders of the machine [the
Voisin brothers]. As soon as the weather improves the Voisin brothers and
Delagrange will resume trials of the aircraft, which has not had any
modifications.
……………………………………….
19 May 1907
p. 6
Today, at Le Touquet, Delagrange and [Charles] Voisin will do trials of
gliding flight, with a ‘small Chanute apparatus without motor’. [It is presumably Delagrange who is flying
the trials. He has gone to the Channel coast with Voisin to improve his flying
skills.]
……………………………………..
8 June 1907
p. 6
Delagrange [still described as a ‘sympathique aviateur’], having
recently had experience on a motorless airplane in the North [see 19 May
above], is now back in Paris. The next trials of his aircraft will be at
Issy-les-Moulineaux.
[This is the first reference to Issy in
1907. Did Delagrange get any basic piloting experience at Le Touquet? There is
no earlier reference to his piloting. Reports are that Charles Voisin flew his
aircraft in the spring of 1907. The next note indicates that there was a plan
to fly the powered Voisin machine at Le Touquet. That does not seem to have
happened.]
……………………………………...
8 June 1907, La Vie au Grand Air, No. 455
p. 387, François
Peyrey, ‘L’Aviation au Touquet’
Trials of the
powered airplane of Léon Delagrange will be continued soon at
Touquet-Paris-Plage. Delagrange has been there several times and will build a
hangar for his machine. ‘Very recently he carried out there, in collaboration
with MM Charles Voisin, Henry Farman, and Colliex, some gliding flights of
around 40 metres length, using a simple airplane, without motor, of the Chanute
type and with 18 square metres of surface.’
Delagrange’s
powered machine will find a remarkable field of action on this immense space
[‘plage’].
A photograph
shows what looks like Gabriel Voisin standing in the centre section of a
glider. [It is impossible to tell from this article whether Delagrange or
Farman, or both, flew this glider. If Farman, it would be the beginning of
training as a pilot for him.]
……………………………….
La Revue de l’Aviation, 15 July 1907 (No. 8, 2me année)
p.13 Delagrange,
after making some very short flights (the longest being about 200 feet), has
decided to go to the sand dunes outside Le Touquet to fly a glider with M.
Voisin [presumably Charles Voisin, who had piloted Delagrange’s aircraft in
March 1907]. The glider will first be tried as a kite, and various measurements
(drag, lift, position of centre of pressure at different angles of attack) will
be taken. Gliding trials will be made by running and jumping into the wind,
recording the angle of descent. This is a great sport, and the chances of
accidents are small for prudent men who proceed slowly. Gliding gives the
experience needed before one can fly a powered aircraft.
………………………………..
17 July 1907
p. 6
Delagrange’s aircraft is soon to restart trials after a period of calm
(before which it achieved its first gliding flight [‘vols planés’]). In company
with M. Archdeacon, Delagrange is resuming his efforts. A hangar is being built
at the Lac d’Enghien, where trials will be made over water. The aircraft will
have two floats. [This was not done. The reference to gliding flight by the
aircraft is puzzling. Where and how could that have been done? Perhaps the
article is referring to Delagrange’s gliding flights outside Le Touquet, not
done in his Voisin-built machine.]
………………………]………..
14 August 1907
p. 5
At the Lac d’Enghien Delagrange and Archdeacon have put up a vast hangar
in which is stored the Voisin aircraft – which will be tried over the lake.
………………………………...
22 August 1907
P. 4.
Delagrange and Archdeacon, having experiences great difficulties on the
lake at Enghien, have decided to continue trials at Issy, next week.
……………………………….
27 August 1907
p.6
Before some hundreds of spectators, Delagrange has resumed trials of his
aircraft at Issy. The pilot is Charles Voisin. The aircraft has been slightly
modified in the nose, and shows good stability.
……………………………
28 August 1907
p. 5
Yesterday there were more trials of the Delagrange aircraft at Issy.
These were stopped by a small incident – the ‘instantaneous discharge of the
accumulators’, and the breaking of two struts in the elevator. The aircraft is
stored in the hangar belonging to Farman, which causes some confusion, because
some thought that it was Farman’s machine that had gone out. But its trials
will be in 4-5 days.
…………………………..
3 September 1907
p. 5
At Issy the Delagrange-Archdeacon aircraft was set in motion on Sunday
morning, but did not fly. The trial was above all for adjustment of the motor.
[The identification of the aircraft as being of Delagrange and Archdeacon –
this is not the first time it appears -- is interesting. Archdeacon must be
working closely with Delagrange in this phase of his machine’s trials.]
…………………………..
25 September 1907
p. 6
Yesterday morning and afternoon the Delagrange-Archdeacon aircraft,
‘with M. Voisin aboard’ [probably Charles] taxied ten or so times, but not fast
enough to take off.
…………………………..
26 September 1907
p. 4
M. Voisin [probably Charles] performed 5-6 trials of the Delagrange-Archdeacon
machine. On the first the aircraft lifted on one side and was immediately
stopped because of uncertain balance. In other trials the aircraft was stable,
but stayed on the ground. [This seems excessive caution. Charles Voisin after
all flew this aircraft in March 1907.]
…………………………..
27 September 1907
p. 5
The aircraft in which Charles Voisin last spring made ‘conclusive
trials’ was tried again yesterday at Issy. (At Enghien it was realized that the
motor was not powerful enough to lift it off the water.) Yesterday at Issy the
machine was launched five times. On the last attempt it rose to 1.5 metres and
flew 45 metres with perfect stability. Charles Voisin was the pilot.
………………………….
1 November 1907
p.6
Delagrange ‘mounted his
aeroplane for the first time’. He learned about the controls. He will continue
practice today.
…………………………………………
6 November, p.4.
Yesterday Delagrange was flying at 2-3
metres when he tried to turn. He started well on the correct arc, but then the
left wing dropped, hit the ground, and broke. The forward elevator broke in
two. The frame [‘châssis’] twisted and hit the ground. Delagrange was thrown
forward but not hurt; the airplane, however, received mortal wounds. Delagrange
said that after his started the turn, he tried to use the rudder in the tail,
but the cable broke. He will exchange this airplane for another now being
built. He did in fact make a turn, which was previously thought impossible. [Why?
Farman had already turned.] Farman flew to Delagrange’s aid from the other end
of the field (600-700 metres).
………………………………………….
27 December, p.5.
Tomorrow Delagrange will inaugurate his new
biplane [‘cellulaire’]; as will also Gastambide and Mangin (who has a
monoplane).
…………………………………………
1908
8 January, p.5.
Strong winds prevented trials yesterday at
Issy. Delagrange’s new biplane is assembled. First trials will follow soon. He
intends to make endurance trials, and will probably go to Satory or Beauce
after the initial tests.
………………………………………..
18 January, p.6.
Yesterday Delagrange did trials of his new
aeroplane at Issy. The purpose was adjustment [‘mise au point’] of the machine.
The rear cell had too much incidence, so that the forward elevator dug into the
ground and two ash mounting uprights [‘montants’] broke. Repairs are to be made
this morning, for new trials tomorrow afternoon.
……………………………………….
19 January, p.4.
Delagrange yesterday took his aircraft out
at Issy in thick fog (less than 50 paces visibility), sat on the seat, and made
¾ hour of trials on the ground. Then he spent 20 minutes looking for the way
back to the hangar. He says that, with the tail adjusted slightly, the aircraft
will fly – possibly tomorrow.
………………………………………..
21 January, p.4.
Delagrange, who last spring opened the way
for Henry Farman, yesterday did trials of his biplane at Issy. The tail surfaces are now perfectly adjusted,
and the aircraft flew 100 metres.
[Delagrange bought an aircraft from the
Voisin brothers in spring 1907. That is the only way in which he ‘opened the
way’ for Farman. He barely tried to fly the machine before the autumn.]
……………………………………….
31 January, p.5.
Delagrange had engine trouble yesterday at
Issy. When he tried to take off, the engine produced explosions ‘of fifteen
hundred devils’. It sounded like a machine gun in combat. The machine was towed
back to the hangar.
………………………………………..
27 February, p.4.
Delagrange’s motor has been completely
checked in the past period of bad weather, and will now be refitted to his
biplane for immediate trials.
……………………………………….
13 March, p.5.
Like Farman, Delagrange is in a hurry.
Yesterday he did stability trials. All went well. He even risked some ‘cautious
take offs’ [‘timides envolées’] of 80-100 metres. Finally the state of the
ground forced him to return to the hangar.
………………………………………
15 March, p.5.
Delagrange said he had been waiting a year
– since 16 March 1907 precisely – to be able to fly without danger or anxiety.
That time, he says, has come. Yesterday he flew straight for 300 metres,
practicing movement of the forward elevator. His flight distance was limited
only by the length of the field. [Possibly true, if he did not start from the
edge of the field. Using the whole length, straight flights of 700 metres could
be made at Issy.]
……………………………………..
17 March, p.5.
Yesterday Delagrange made three flights of
500-600 metres.
……………………………………..
18 March, p.5.
Delagrange on 16 March used fuel that
fouled his motor, so has been able to fly only a short distance. The motor
needs a thorough cleaning.
……………………………………..
21 March, p.1.
Yesterday morning Delagrange made 7 flights
of 700-800 metres, using the whole field length. He will try to turn tomorrow.
‘The match between the two aviators [Farman and Delagrange] is only beginning.’
…………………………………….
23 March, p.5.
The town council of Issy-les-Moulineaux has
voted on a motion of the mayor to send ‘most lively congratulations’ to Farman
and Delagrange for their flying successes at Issy.
……………………………………
25 March, p.1.
The contest between Farman and Delagrange
now draws crowds to Issy. On the 23rd a thousand were present.
Yesterday morning Delagrange flew for 3 minutes 30 seconds, covering about 3.2
kilometres [obviously turning well now], but short of Farman’s 3 minutes 47
seconds. The whole problem of flight now lies in the motors, especially in cooling
them. Both Farman and Delagrange are using water-cooled motors; the need to
refill the water tank has often ended flights.
…………………………………..
27 March, p.5.
There was a slight accident with
Delagrange’s aircraft on 25 March. The old water tank was replaced – ‘replacing
the system of vaporized water’. Then the mechanics ran the engine for several
minutes. The test seemed conclusive. But suddenly, the motor shaft broke at its
forward end, to which the propeller is bolted. The two propeller blades were
thrown into the air and cut one of the cross members that connect the central
[wing] cell to the rear [tailplane] cell; but did only minor damage to the wing
covering [‘voilure’]. Repairs will probably be finished by the beginning of
next week.
[Has Delagrange, like Farman, replaced the
evaporative cooling system with a radiator?]
…………………………………….
L’Aérophile, 1 April 1908, pp. 129-131, ‘Les étapes de
l’aviation. À l’assaut des Records et de la Coupe Archdeacon. Delagrange contre
Farman’
On
14 March, two aircraft flew at Issy successfully: the Henri-Farman 1bis and the
Delagrange 2. On the Farman, the old varnished silk of the covering has been
replaced by ‘Continental’ rubberized fabric. This has an absolutely smooth
surface, reducing air friction, and complete impermeability. ‘Continental’
fabrics are used to cover current large dirigibles. It is quite possible that
the material will become the common covering of aeroplanes, giving a new market
to the famous rubber company.
14
March also saw the start of trials of the new aviation motor ‘Renault frères’.
The Farman aircraft flies marvelously with the new motor. Farman made five
flights of 500-600 metres, with a turn included.
On
the same day at Issy, Delagrange – who had in March 1907 shaken up the torpor
of aviators (lulled by the successes of Santos-Dumont) – found rewards for his
long sacrifices. In his No. 2 aeroplane (exactly the same as the Farman 1 that
took the Grand Prix in January 1908), and equipped with an Antoinette 50 hp, 8
cylinder motor, he made a flight of 300 metres in 19 seconds, and was stopped
only by the limits of the Issy field.
Witnesses
of these flights were the Voisin brothers, Ernest Archdeacon, and General
Kovanko (commander of the Russian military balloonists, in France on an
official mission to study aeronautical progress).
16
March Between 9 and 11 a.m. on this day
Delagrange made five flights of 500-600 metres, limited only by the edges of
the field. Observing were Ernest Archdeacon, Louis Blériot, Henry Kapferer,
Chares and Gabriel Voisin, Captain Ferber, C.-A. Bertrand (a reporter from Sports and l’Intransigeant). The stability of the aircraft was such that
Delagrange was able to take his hands off the controls and wave to his friends
in passing.
17
March Delagrange tried for one of the
three prizes offered by the Commission d’aviation of the AéroClub de France for
200 metres (an enamel plaque and 20 francs).
p.
130 He made this attempt between 5 and
6 p.m., with François Peyrey and Henry Kapferer observing for the Commission
d’aviation. He succeeded at the first attempt, with a flight of 269.2 metres at
a height of 2 metres. At the start line the aircraft must be airborne; so the
distance flown is actually greater than 200 metres. The flight took 21.2
seconds. It would have been longer if a group of cavalry had not been in the
way.
20
March Delagrange is now the rival of
Farman, though no official match exists. On this day Delagrange flew a loop of
700 metres. At about 5 p.m. Farman flew several times, now with an Antoinette
motor (replacing the Renault).
21
March A misty day, but that did not
dissuade aviators at Issy. Farman flew 2 ½ oval circuits (the length of the
oval, between posts, being 500 metres). On each turn the aircraft banked
inwards, but rose – and then came down again once the turn was completed.
p.
131 The Commission d’aviation,
calculating by the distance between the posts (501.2 metres), recognized that
Farman had flown 2,004.8 metres, in 3 minutes 31 seconds. Distance and time are
records. Farman in fact probably flew 4 kilometres, if the space needed for
turning is counted.
Around
12.30 p.m. Delagrange started to fly, around the same posts. He travelled 1,500
metres, in 2 minutes 3 seconds, before having to land because cavalry horses
were in his way.
Delagrange
has shown interest in a ‘Syndicat d’aviation’ which has engaged the Voisin
brothers to produced six machines of the same type of the Farman 1bis and the
Delagrange 2. He is impressed by the ease of manoeuvre and safety of the
machine. Recent advances in aviation should be recognized. In 3-6 months
kilometres have come to be flown on demand, turns are accomplished, and serial
building of aircraft is starting. Progress is quicker than expected.
………………………………………
11 April, p.5.
Delagrange yesterday flew 2 ½ minutes. He
will do official trials today.
……………………………………….
Scientific
American, 11 April 1908
Delagrange’s aircraft is ‘practically a
duplicate’ of Farman’s. On 21 March Delagrange made ‘several extended flights’
around the ‘borders of the parade ground’ [at Issy, presumably]. The longest
was for 2 minutes 5 seconds, and included a complete circle [Delagrange’s
first].
On 17 March Delagrange competed for a 200
franc prize for a straight flight of 200 metres. He covered 269 ½ metres at
28.44 mph (flying for 21 1/5 seconds).
‘These performances of the sculptor show
that the type of machine which he originated [?? - he was the Voisins’ first customer for it]
and which was copied and modified by Farman, is capable of being flown by
anyone of ordinary intelligence who will sufficiently practice the art’.
[Farman did not copy Delagrange’s machine. The Voisin brothers built for Farman
the same machine – doubtless with some minor modifications – as they had built
for Delagrange. Farman certainly modified that aircraft in the fall of 1907.]
A duplicate of the Delagrange-Farman
machine can be bought in the USA for US$9,000. A Russian general has ordered one
for his government.
……………………………………….
L’Aérophile, 15 April 1908, p.?, Georges Bans, ‘Portraits d’Aviateurs
contemporains. Léon Delagrange’
Delagrange was born in Orléans in 1873. His
early years were spent with his father, a big industrialist in spinning and
weaving in Orléans. He there became interested in mechanics. In his youth he
practiced many sports. He was a student at the École des Beaux-Arts, of
sculpture, almost at the same time as Henri Farman was there learning painting
and Gabriel Voisin there studied architecture. From the age of fourteen
Delagrange exhibited at the Salon de la Société des Artistes Français,
obtaining several medals. He is remembered for the Page florentin, Templier, Amour et Jeunesse in the Copenhagen
museum.
He was drawn to aviation in 1905 when he
observed the experiments of Ernest Archdeacon on the Seine, at Billancourt. His
first aircraft was built by the Voisin brothers. The aircraft was demonstrated
to him in 1907. Only recently did he start to fly his second machine. His first
flight was on Saturday, 14 March, at Issy. Delagrange has also flown recently
over Paris in the dirigible Ville-de-Paris, piloted by Henry Kapferer.
……………………………………….
L’AérophileI,
15 April 1908, pp. 147-148. L. Lagrange, ‘Les étapes de l’aviation. Delagrange conquiert les Records et la Coupe Archdeacon’
The competition between Delagrange and
Farman for the longest flight has revived on the first fine day after a period
of bad weather.
Delagrange had added an additional, 5
litre, water tank to his machine; he can
now carry 20 litres. This enables the motor to run for 18 minutes without
overheating. To win the Prix Armengaud jeune prize a time of 15 minutes in the
air is needed.
On 10 April Delagrange restarted trials
under the supervision of Captain Ferber, François Peyrey, and Paul Tissandier
(representing the Aviation commission of the AéroClub de France). Delagrange
immediately flew a circuit of 2,500 metres – and would have beaten Farman’s
record (set on 21 March, of 2,004 metres) if a wheel had not touched the ground.
Spectators were struck by Delagrange’s mastery of the aircraft, its ease of
flight, its manoeuvrability, and the precision of Delagrange’s turns. He has
spent little time in the air since January; but it has been enough to make him a
skilled pilot. He surely took longer to learn to ride and turn a bicycle.
The next day, 11 April, Delagrange flew for
9 minutes 15 seconds without touching the ground. He became the third holder of
the Archdeacon cup. The first trials were made in the morning, supervised by
Robert Esnault-Pelterie, Henry Kapferer, and François Peyrey, representing the
aviation commission of the AéroClub de France. A four sided course had been
laid out, with sides of 400, 200, 300, and 300 metres. Trials began around 11
a.m.
p. 148
There was a fresh, irregular, and gusty wind. Flying resumed at 5.30
p.m., in a lighter wind. The track was now marked with sides of 350, 200, and
275 metres – a triangle of 825 metres. For two circuits the aircraft was low to
the ground, and touched during the slight drops that occur on exiting a turn.
The Delagrange went to three metres, and flew five circuits without touching
the ground. The commissioners calculated that he had flown 3,925 metres without
ground contact, in 6 minutes 30 seconds. Including the first two circuits, the
flight had covered 5,575 metres – although, if the turning space is taken into
account, the flight was much longer.
Thus Delagrange has taken from Farman the
record for distance, at 3,925 metres, in 6 minutes 30 seconds. He stopped only
because his fuel supply was only for ten minutes. Delagrange is ‘truly a man
and a sportsman – an artist who came down from the ivory tower last year to
enter a full scientific and industrial battle, and to achieve triumph in a few
months’.
From the first good days of 1908 Delagrange
has trained daily at Issy, with the aim of beating the records set by Farman.
On Saturday 11 April 1908, with the Aviation commission of the AéroClub
present, he made a flight of 6 minutes 30 seconds, covering 3,925 metres.
Delagrange thus doubled Farman’s maximum distance and stopped only for lack of
fuel.
Delagrange, as sculptor, wishes only to
make a bust of Farman; as an aviator, he wishes to train many pupils who will
achieve the victory of the new French sport [of flying]
Scientific
American, 25 April 1908
p. 291 ‘Delagrange’s record aeroplane
flight’ On 11 April 1908, Delagrange is
‘said to’ have flown a circular flight of 4 ½ miles at Issy-les-Moulineaux.
Over a triangular course he touched down twice on his first two circuits, but
then flew 3 miles in 6 ½ minutes without touching the ground. The total time
was 9 ¼ minutes. The flight supposedly ended because Delagrange grew tired of
operating ‘so continuously’ the horizontal rudder [pushing and pulling on the
control wheel that moved the front elevator of the aircraft]. Working this
control is a ‘rather arduous task’ and a ‘great strain on the nerves of the
operator’. The flight did not end because of engine overheating, as Farman’s
have done. Delagrange had fitted a radiator and pump for the proper cooling of
water. The need is clearly for a better automatic horizontal stabilizer on the
aircraft.
[A fuller description of this flight is in Scientific
American, 9 May 1908, p. 336.]
……………………………………….
12 April, p.1.
Every day there is new progress by ‘flying
men’ [‘hommes volants’]. Three weeks ago Farman set a new record of 2
kilometres 4.8 metres. Delagrange has now [11 April] raised this to 3
kilometres 925 metres, in a light breeze at Issy at 5.30 p.m. These AéroClub
commissioners were present: H. Kapferer, R. Esnault-Pelterie, François Peyrey,
and Desmanets. The course was triangle with legs of 350, 275, and 200 metres.
Delagrange is at times nervous, but has ‘all audacity’ [‘toutes les audaces’].
He tries to stay two metres from the ground, but attempts turns that inspire
fear. He made a quick take off, turned close to the Porte de Grenelle, passed
the well, but touched the ground while passing close to the hangars. On the second
turn, a wheel touched the ground. After that he rose to 3-4 metres, and did not
touch again. The aircraft made four circuits quite happily, at about 50 kph.
Delagrange almost completed a fifth
circuit, but cut his ignition and came down, saying that he was exhausted. To
stay a suitable distance from the ground ‘I had constantly to move the
elevator. I can no longer feel my arms.’ He was overjoyed when given the
distance he had flown: 3,925 metres. “I have had Farman!’, he said to us. ‘I’ve
got him.’ The time length of the flight was 9 minutes 15 seconds, of which 6
minutes 30 seconds were after he touched the ground. It is almost certain that Delagrange flew
more than 4 miles. The speed of the aircraft was 50 kph. Delagrange has been
training only 1 ½ months [not so – his regular flying started in November 1907].
Therefore his performance is remarkable. The contest between Farman and
Delagrange has started and will continue.
……………………………………..
15 April, p.5.
Delagrange did not attempt a 15 minute
flight yesterday. Even if he had wanted to, the expectant crowd in front of his
hangar would have prevented him from flying.
…………………………………….
17 April, p.5.
Aviators are unhappy, because the AéroClub
de France has proposed there should be a fee of 50 francs for those wanting to
compete for the Armengaud prize (for a 15 minute flight) – to be reimbursed
only if the prize is won. Delagrange says: ‘I am not God the Father … I do not
command the winds or the rain’. He understands that the charge should not be paid
back if there is a failure [‘échec’] [to fly for 15 minutes, presumably]. But
if rain or wind prevent flying he does not think that the AéroClub can oblige
payment, especially because the ‘fees for stewards [‘service d’ordre’] fall on
me alone.’
……………………………………
19 April, p.6.
The wind continues. Delagrange did emerge
yesterday. He has improved the cooling system of his motor with a 20 litre tank
of water that vaporizes as the motor runs. He hopes that this will give him the
15 minutes in the air needed for the Armengaud prize. After his 9 ½ minute flight
last week, he had 9.5 litres in his water tank.
……………………………………
3 May, p.1.
‘Delagrange s’envole, heurte une auto,
tombe et démolit son aéroplane.’
Yesterday at Issy Farman and Delagrange
both tried for the Armengaud prize; neither succeeded. Delagrange crashed
because of the ignorance of the public and the lack of stewards. His machine
was destroyed. There were several thousand spectators. Only two municipal
guards, along with two gendarmes and 3-4 agents [of what?], were present to
keep people off the field.
A gusting wind made flying start late.
Delagrange went first, but stopped to adjust his motor. Farman then flew, but
withdrew at 6.45 [p.m.], disturbed by spectators. Shortly before 7 p.m.
Delagrange left his hangar and decided to fly, since the weather was now
calmer. He flew some distance, then turned, but then his motor lost power – and
in trying to avoid spectators he hit a taxi-auto parked for some reason on the
field, and rolled into a ditch on the hangar side of the field. The damage was
heavy, though Delagrange was not hurt.
Le
Matin comments:
Issy is now too small for large experiments. It was good at the
beginning. If flyers cannot get effective control of the ground, or a military
presence to keep the field clear, they should go elsewhere.
……………………………………
5 May, p.5.
Delagrange will leave next week for Rome,
where he will perform flying experiments. His aircraft will be repaired from
the accident [of 2 May] in a few days. He will be gone about a month, stopping
at Florence and Turin on the way back. He will not continue flying at Issy. He
and several friends are seeking another place to fly in the environs of Paris.
Such a place is not easy to find.
Farman also plans to stop flying at Issy. At
the speed his aircraft now flies (75-80 kph) he cannot turn without extreme
risk in less than 200 metres.
Le
Matin comments: Aircraft now indisputably turn.
Future research for the advance of heavier than air flight must also include
stability in wind, engines, and trials at height. Flyers must have a large,
flat space. Turning an aircraft at Issy is now comparable in danger to driving
a car around the Place de la Concorde in fourth gear without brakes.
…………………………………..
17 May, p.5.
Delagrange is now in Turin. Then he will go
to Rome, where Gabriel Voisin will join him.
……………………………….
Lucien Marchis et al, Vingt-cinq ans
d’Aéronautique française, 2 vols., Chambre Syndicale des Industries
Aéronautiques, Paris 1934.
20/27 May
Delagrange flew 7, then 12, kilometres in
Rome.
…………………………………..
27 May, p.5.
[list of aeroplanes now flying, or soon to
do so, belonging to sixteen Parisians]
Delagrange is now in Rome.
…………………………………..
31 May, p.1.
‘Victoire du Génie français. Delagrange à
Rome a fait 16 kilomètres en aéroplane. Archdeacon et Farman à Gand ont fait de
l’aéroplane à deux.’ [Victory of French genius. In Rome Delagrange has flown 16
kilometres in his aeroplane. Archdeacon and Farman have flown together in an
aircraft at Ghent]
Last Thursday Delagrange ‘on his aerial
ski’ [‘sur son esqui aérien’] stayed in the air for nine minutes. Yesterday
(according to this telegram to Le Matin)
he took a new world record, flying for 15 minutes 25 seconds at 5.45 a.m.,
traveling, around posts, 12 kilometres 700 metres. Present were Major Morris,
de Filippi, Ricaldoni, Ranza, Gabriel Voisin (‘inventor of the aeroplane’),
Bishop (president of the Aero Club of America), and the Italian press. He flew
at 3-5 metres in a light breeze.
[Le
Matin says that the actual distance flown, including turns, was 16
kilometres.]
Delagrange does not get the prize for a 15
minute flight [the Armengaud prize], because the flight was not in France, and
was not witnessed by the AéroClub de France.
……………………………………
Scientific
American, 4 July 1908
p. 13
On 22 June 1908 Delagrange circled nine times around the Piazza d’Armi
of Milan, in 16 ½ minutes. His speed for the 9 ½ miles flown was 34 ½ mph. On
23 June Delagrange flew for 18 minutes, though touching the ground lightly on
one circuit. After more flights in Turin ‘ it is expected that he will visit
America’.
……………………………………
4 September, p.2.
Delagrange yesterday morning resumed
training at Issy. The aircraft has been completely reconditioned [‘remis’] by
the Voisin brothers. They have added four vertical surfaces between the wings:
two at the tips, two near the centre of the wings. The aircraft has a new radiator, which Delagrange
hopes will allow a flight of one hour, a new record.
…………………………………..
L’Aérophile, 15 September 1908, pp. 357-8, ‘Magnifiques performances de
Delagrange’
The Issy field had scarcely been returned
to fliers when training resumed. Delagrange achieved remarkable performances.
The Voisin brothers have modified his aircraft. It now has four vertical panels
in the wings: one at each tip, and one inboard of the tip on each side. Thus
the wing has three large cells. These changes were made in accordance with
‘delicate laboratory experiments’ by the
Voisins. All aviation records belong to Voisin aircraft. [None to the
Wrights? Wilbur is by this time flying in France.]
Delagrange’s machine also has a new motor,
an Antoinette making 50-60 hp in place of the 40-50 hp of the previous model.
Trials were resumed at Issy on 3 September,
in the early morning. Delagrange, using his modified aircraft, made flights of
1,000-1,500 metres.
On 5 September, at 6 a.m., Delagrange made
four large circuits around the field, followed by two smaller ones. During the
latter he flew over the Ferber 9. Timed by MM. Blériot and André Fournier, this
flight lasted 9 minutes 40 seconds, covering roughly 10 kilometres. The flight
was ended by fuel exhaustion, the tank holding only 8 litres.
On 6 September, Delagrange beat all
records, flying for almost a half hour, making 15 rectangular circuits around
the field (and thus 60 turns). Present were Captain Ferber, Louis Blériot, A.
Goupy, R. Gasnier [sic], André Fournier (representing the aviation commission
of the Aéroclub de France), Gabriel and Charles Voisin,
p. 358
Levavasseur and Gastambide (of the Société Antoinette), the viscount de
la Brosse, the Italian naval officer Calderara, L. de Brouckère (the well-known
Belgian aeronaut), etc.
Pennants marked the corners of the
rectangle around which Delagrange flew. He had decided on their placement.
At about 7.30 a.m., after checking his
motor (running perfectly), Delagrange started. He flew at 6 metres height, very
stably. In 15 minutes he had already made 8 circuits. Delagrange saluted
spectators as he passed. After the fourteenth circuit the aircraft descended.
Fuel was almost gone. But only after the south turn on the fifteenth circuit
did landing take places. Fuel was exhausted. The measured flight time was 29
minutes 53 3/5 seconds. The distance covered was 24.125 kilometres; though if
turns are taken into account the distance was some 30 kilometres. Speed was
some 60 kph.
All aviation records for distance and time
flown were beaten by this flight.
On 7 September Delagrange flew for 28
minutes 1.2 seconds, ending the flight with an easy landing, as always. There
was no course marked, and the distance could not be exactly measured. Present
were Captain Ferber, A. Goupy, François Peyrey, Gabriel and Charles Voisin,
René Quinton (founder of the Ligue Aérienne Française), Bunau-Varilla, etc.
…………………………………
7 September, p.1.
Delagrange set a new record yesterday at
Issy, flying for 29 minutes 53.8 seconds (15 ½ laps). The times flown by
aviators are: Delagrange, 29 minutes
53.8 seconds; Henry Farman (6 July), 20 minutes 20 seconds; Wilbur Wright (5
September), 19 minutes 48 seconds; Louis Blériot (6 July), 8 minutes, 40
seconds. Delagrange’s flight ended
because the motor stopped. There is some suggestion of lack of fuel. Delagrange
will fit a 35 litre fuel tank for another attempt on the record.
There is a reference here to Delagrange’s
mechanic, Harel.
………………………………….
18 September, p.2.
Yesterday Delagrange gave a lesson to Mme.
Thérèse Peltier, her first lesson in flying an aeroplane. There was no flight;
the aircraft rolled on the ground while Delagrange explained the controls. This
first airwoman [‘aviatrice’] will continue lessons in two weeks, when Delagrange
is installed at Savigny-sur-Orge.
………………………………….
25 December, p.2.
The first Salon d’Aéronautique opened on 24
December 1908 at the Grand Palais. Delagrange’s Voisin biplane was displayed,
along with many other aircraft. [The show continued until 30 December.]
………………………………….
1909
8 January, p.6.
The committee of the AéroClub de France
voted yesterday to give pilots’ licences [‘brevets’] to Henry Farman,
Delagrange, Blériot, R. Esnault-Pelterie, Wilbur and Orville Wright, Captain
Ferber, and Santos-Dumont – eight licences in all.
…………………………………
4 April, p.1.
The especially wet winter has interrupted
aviation activities. Only Wilbur Wright,
in the pays Béarnais (at Pau) has been able to continue flying.
Delagrange, ‘struck by a cruel
bereavement’, has not flown. But his aircraft, without motor, was recently
blessed at Juvisy by the Archbishop of Paris.
……………………………….
……………………………….
There are no other mentions in Le Matin of Delagrange before the August
1909 meeting at Bétheny, outside Reims.
Delagrange took part in the Bétheny
meeting, flying a Blériot 11. He won no prizes.
On 4 January 1910, again flying the Blériot II, he was killed in a crash
near Bordeaux. The aircraft was fitted with a 50 hp motor (twice the horsepower
that Blériot had used to cross the Channel in the same aircraft), and the day
was gusty. Delagrange seems to have turned too hard (for the load bearing
capacity of the wing) into the wind. A wing folded up and the machine crashed.
He was crushed.
……………………………….
Delagrange is an odd character. He has not
Farman’s dogged persistence and caution, nor Blériot’s willingness to try something
new, whatever the risk. After getting his plane from the Voisin brothers in the
spring of 1907, he seems barely to have attempted any flying before the fall of
that year. Farman passed him in experience and accomplishment before he
started. In the spring of 1908, however, he made rapid progress, and a rivalry over
flight times and distances developed between him and Farman. He then, in the
early summer of 1908, went to Italy, where he made some impressive flights. After
then – at least to judge by reports (or lack of reports) in Le Matin – he flew less. He had no
particular success at the Bétheny meeting in August 1909, though at a meeting
in Doncaster (England) in October 1909 he had notable accomplishments. He died
in January 1910 as a result of a crash of his Blériot 11 near Bordeaux.
