Gabriel Voisin
Gabriel Voisin | |
---|---|
Belleville-sur-Saône, France | |
Died | 25 December 1973 , France | (aged 93)
Gabriel Voisin (5 February 1880 – 25 December 1973) was a French aviation pioneer and the creator of Europe's first manned, engine-powered, heavier-than-air aircraft capable of a sustained (1 km), circular, controlled flight, which was made by
Early life
Gabriel Voisin was born on 5 February 1880 in
Their grandfather, Charles Forestier, took charge of the boys' education with military rigor. The boys also went for expeditions along the river, went fishing, and built numerous contraptions. When his grandfather died, Gabriel was sent to school in Lyon and Paris where he learned industrial design, a field in which Voisin claims to have been exceptionally gifted. He often returned home, and by the end of the century the brothers had built, among other things, a rifle, a steam boat and an automobile.[3]
Early flying experiments
After completing his studies at the Ecole des Beaux Arts de Lyon in 1899, he joined an architectural firm in Paris. While in Paris he saw the
Voisin then designed and built a glider equipped with floats for Archdeacon. This aircraft marks the first use of
The next aircraft built by Voisin for Bleriot during 1906, the
Commercial airplane production: Voisin Frères
Santos-Dumont's flights in the 14-bis, in November 1906, were Europe's first officially observed and verified heavier-than-air powered flights.[8] Despite its fame, all that the 14-bis could achieve was a short flight on a straight line. It had no potential beyond that and it was quickly abandoned.[8]
Two almost identical
In 1909, Voisin was made a Chevalier of the
Later Farman modified
After the death of Charles Voisin: Aéroplanes G. Voisin
Voisin was greatly affected by the death of his brother
After 1912, the factory shifted its manufacturing and sales towards supplying the French military. When World War I broke out in 1914, Voisin immediately volunteered for service with French air corps.[15] The Voisin III, a two-seater pusher biplane with a 120 hp Salmson radial engine, was extensively used for bombing and observation missions during World War I. It had a light steel frame and thus could be stationed outdoors. The Voisin III was built in large numbers (about 1,000[16]) between 1914 and 1916 and sold not only to the French air services but also to other allies, including Russia. The Type VIII (about 1,100 built) and Type X (about 900 built) were delivered in 1917 and 1918. Those last to appear Voisin military aircraft were almost identical in appearance to the Voisin III, although they were heavier and featured twice as powerful Peugeot and Renault engines. They also had a longer range and carried almost twice the bomb load of their predecessor. A complete and original Voisin Type VIII bomber aircraft is preserved in excellent condition at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington,D.C. It is the oldest preserved bomber aircraft in the world.
Switch to car production: Avions Voisin
Voisin abandoned aviation, citing[17] the trauma of the military use of his more advanced airplanes (the Voisin III) during the war in addition to the then embryonic demand for civilian aircraft. From then until 1958, he concentrated his efforts on making automobiles[17] under the brand of Avions Voisin. His early cars were some of the finest luxury vehicles in the world, with unique technical details. Many of them won in competition. However, the luxury car market shrank in the 1930s because of depressed economic conditions followed in June 1940 by the invasion of France by Nazi Germany forcing him to close down his factory. "In 1939, a certain Hitler unleashed the regrettable chain of events that French people are all too familiar with." - Gabriel Voisin. After 1945, he turned his attention to designing a minimalist car for the masses, the Biscooter, thousands of which were produced under licence in Spain during the 1950s as the Biscúter. Today, his pre-war luxury automobiles have become highly prized by collectors, both in Europe and in the USA.
In the 1920s, the company also proposed a 'Motor-Fly' which was a bicycle with a small auxiliary 2-stroke engine added to the back wheel, and also produced pre-fabricated houses that could be built in 3 days ('votre maison en trois jours - your house in 3 days'). These were available with a floor area of 35, 75 or 105 square meters, and were constructed around a metal framework. Some of these houses still exist, but none in their original condition. The houses carry the logo 'Avion Voisin Issy', just like the other products from the factory.
Death
In 1960 he retired to his country house, "La Cadolle", at Le Villars near
He was buried at Le Villars.See also
- Léon Lemartin – engineer on the Seine glider and the Gnome Omega rotary engine.
Further reading
- Courtault, Pascal Automobiles Voisin,1919–1950.London: White Mouse Editions, 1991 ISBN 0-904568-72-5( in English )
- Cahisa, Raymond L'Aviation d'Ader et des temps heroique. Paris: Editions Albin Michel,1950.
- Elliott, B.A. Bleriot, Herald of An Age. Stroud: Tempus, 2000. ISBN 0-7524-1739-8
- Gibbs-Smith, C.H. The Rebirth of European Aviation. London, HMSO. 1974. ISBN 0-11-290180-8
- ISBN 9780764307522
- Voisin, Gabriel,1960,"Mes 10.000 Cerfs-Volants". Voisin's first volume of personal memoirs. Editor:"Editions de la Table Ronde", Paris . Also published in English under the title : Men, Women and 10,000 kites by Putnam,London, 1963.
- Voisin Gabriel, 1962, "Mes milles et une Voitures" ( My 1001 automobiles ). Voisin's second volume of personal memoirs. Editor: "Editions de la Table Ronde", Paris.
- Voisin, Gabriel, 1966, "Henry Farman (1874–1960)", :" Revue Aeronautique Trimestrielle des Vieilles Tiges " No7, January 1966. pp 8–16.
- Tatin,V., 1910, " Theorie et Pratique de l'Aviation ", H.Dunod et E.Pinat Editeurs, Paris.
References
- ^ New York Times. December 27, 1973.
- ^ ISBN 0-203-02829-5.
- ^ a b "Les Frères Voisin Gabriel (1880–1973) et Charles (1882–1912)". Monash University. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
- ^ Gibbs-Smith 1974, p. 127
- ^ Gibbs-Smith 1974, p.122
- ^ Elliott 2000 p.34
- ^ Voisin 1963 p. 142
- ^ ISBN 0-486-42327-1.
- ISBN 1-58663-300-7.
- ISBN 1-4191-0156-0. Archived from the originalon 2014-05-24.
- ISBN 0-925776-09-2.
- ^ Opdycke 1999 p.264
- ISBN 0-486-40297-5.
- ^ Prix Osiris awarded to Aviation Flight International19 June 1909
- ^ Flight, 1914, p. 906.
- ^ "Tableau récapitulatif des productions d'aéroplanes et d'avions VOISIN". Archived from the original on 2013-10-05. Retrieved 2011-06-14.
- ^ ISBN 1-84162-068-8.