Flying Machines 1909

The Flying Machines Exhibit

Louis
Malécot

Louis Malécot
Malécot designed and flew this small non-rigid airship over Paris in 1908. With a four cylinder engine and a top speed of under 20 mph, it was just controllable in light winds.

Henri Rougier
Rougier was a famous cyclist and a champion race car driver. He learned to pilot a Voisin aircraft in 1909. In September, 1909, he won the Grand Prix de Berlin at the first aviation tournament held in Germany. In fact it was a disappointment to the Germans that the French won all the prizes at this meet. The meet was held in response to tremendous public enthusiasm for Orville Wright's demonstration flights at Templehoff and Potsdam in August.
Henri
Rougier

Robert
Esnault-Pelterie Robert Esnault-Pelterie, 1881-1957
Esnault-Pelterie followed a visionary path designing monoplanes with many features which would later become standard on modern planes. Esnault-Pelterie built engines as well. In 1904, he began glider research at Calais testing gliders based on the Wright's designs. He also invented the first aileron. He was badly injured flying this R.E.P. No. 1 monoplane in 1908. Thereafter, he had others test his designs for him. 

Maurice Clément
Clément was the owner of Maison Clément-Bayard which manufactured automobile engines before branching into airships and aero engines. This is believed to be the 1908 Clément-Bayard No. 1. It crashed in the River Seine in 1909.
M. Clément

Zeppelin Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin, 1838-1917
Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin completed his first airship in 1899. The image shown here is probably his third design, the LZ-3, one of the few early rigid airships which did not meet with a disastrous accident.

Henri, Comte de la Vaulx, 1870-1930
Count Henri de la Vaulx piloted the Société Zodiac's non-rigid balloon Zodiac I in November, 1908. The Société Zodiac exported their balloons to Holland, Russia, and South America.
Comte de la
Vaulx

Bunau-Varilla Bunau-Varilla, 1859-1940
Étienne Bunau-Varilla flew a Farman biplane at the 1909 Rheims air meet.

Germé
Janes's All the World's Aircraft, 1909, cites this aviator's name as Jermé. In July, 1909, he completed a frail biplane obviously based on the Wright brother's design.  
Germé

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