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SANTOS DUMONT’S 14 BIS
More than a hundred Years Ago
On 17 December 1903, the Wright brothers, in the USA, made use of a rudimentary catapult (with an inclined plane) to throw their Flyer biplane into the air, Santos-Dumont, however, would be the first to build and fly an aircraft "heavier-than-the-air" by its own means of propulsion,in october 23th 1906 |
Alberto Santos-Dumont, 1873-1932
Despite
all the oppinions - specialy from brazilian people - Santos
Dumont wasn't the first man fo fly in a heavier than air machine.
The first registered flight was made by the Wright Brothers whoose
Flyer was cabable of taking off, fly under control making curves
ups and downs and landing safely. The catapult was used to shorten
the take off, just as carrier ships to until today. They made their
first fly in 1903, three years before Santos Dumont. That's history.
No doubt about it. Between
1901 and 1905, Santos was satisfied to enjoy his fame among Parisian
public by landing his dirigible in front of his house just off the
Champs-Elysées or at his favorite restaurant in the Bois de Boulogne.
In 1906, however, the Brazilian surprised the Parisian aeronautical
world by announcing that he intended to become a contender for the
prizes being offered for heavier-than-air flight. Just two years
before he had suggested that the conquest of the air by means of
heavier-than-air machines might occur... but, as news of the Wright
brothers' experiments appeared in French aeronautical journals,
Santos began to wonder if the future were not closer at hand. The historical
flight of Santos-Dumont on the 14-bis at Bagatelle: On November 12th 1906, Santos-Dumont improved even more the performance of his 14-bis and his flying ability, making several flights always increasing the distance flown, finally flying for 21.5 seconds at about 20 feet above ground, covering 700 feet at a speed of 25 mph The
box kite tail unit was connected to the fuselage in such a way that it could be
moved up and down to act as an elevator and from side to side to act as a rudder. The engine was a 50 hp Antoinette which drove a metal pusher propeller
6 feet in diameter. The main landing gear consisted of two wheels with rubber
shock absorbers. A skid supported the front part of the aircraft. The pilot
stood in a wicker basket just ahead of the engine; there was a control wheel
linked by cables to the forward surfaces, and for latter trials there were
ailerons mounted in the outer wing bays. Because the pilot's hands were fully
engaged with the other controls, the ailerons were linked to a metal T-piece
attached to a special coat and the airplane's lateral control had to be attained
by body movement. |
The fuselage of the Demoiselle No. 20 was still made of bamboo, but strengthened, the wing area was the same, but it was powered by a 35-hp engine. During tests in September 1909 it succeeded in flying for 16 minutes, covering about 11 miles. The much modified No. 19 was exhibited during that same month at the Grand Palace in Paris and was received with considerable enthusiasm. Santos-Dumont allowed anyone to copy his aircraft and it is believed that between ten and fifteen Demoiselles were built. |
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material sobre Santos Dumont fotos e filmes de época: