quarta-feira, 16 de novembro de 2011

The Flight of the Santos=Dumont 14 Bis Airplane



The 14 Bis, the first homologated airplane flight in history, emerged from a series of inventions with the name "Number 14", learn how this series of events brought the most famous airplane of Santos=Dumont.


Leia este artigo em Português 


On June 12, 1905 Santos=Dumont flied his dirigible of number 14 in Saint-Cloud, it was an agile and fast model. With an internal volume of 200 cubic meters, the number 14 was extremely thin, moved by a Clement motor of 3.5 HP.

After the first tests the dirigible proved to be extremely difficult to maneuver and very unstable. Santos=Dumont has redesigned the involucre, this time more thick, with 186 cubic meters. He flew with this latest version of number 14 on August 21, 1905 on Trouville, in the coast.

It was also on the French coast that Dumont noticed in a boats race that the Antoinette engines were more powerful and lighter, which would make the flight of airplanes possible.

Also in Trouville, he saw the flight of kites in the shape of Hargraves cells and got inspired. His team worked in secret. With a wingspan of 12 meters and measuring 10 meters long, the bamboo frame was covered with Japanese silk, the rudder was projected in front of the aircraft (canard configuration).

Santos=Dumont decided not to take unnecessary risks, he knew he would had to master the commands before venturing into the air, he decided to engage the aircraft dirigible of number 14 (that’s why it’s called 14 “bis” – Latin word bis means twice, repetition) using a 24 HP Antoinette engine, the fusion of airplane and airship proved to be extremely unstable, in addition its drag created was very great. See animation below.

Click on the image above to see how the airplane 14 a blimp in conjunction with number 14 was unstable.

Once he got rid of the dirigible, the biplane finally freed from its weak partner, received the name of the press “Oiseau de Proie” (Bird of Prey).
Here, a donkey called Kuigno, entered to the aviation history helping Dumont with his experiments

Still aiming to master the controls and find the best conditions for handling S=D ties cables to the 14 bis, that were pulled to the higher side with the help of a charming donkey and then ran free, like a great zip line.


He also made some experiments in the hangar and noticed that his engine would not able to take flight, thus decided to replace it by a 50 HP Antoinette.




He realized this dream on September 4, 1906, when he flew for the first time in his plane number 14-Bis. It was small flights of 7 to 8 meters in the Campo de Bagatelle, but perhaps the happiest day of his life, as he finally managed to take off, with enough force to stay in the air.

Upon realizing that he needed the bearing axle (as we saw there arthras), he put ailerons on the tip of each wing.




It was in the field of Bagatelle, on September 7 that S=D managed to get the wheels off the ground for a little while, so that was how Dumont decided to put his trust on the 14 bis to win the Archdeacon Prize.

He tried the flight again on September 13, 1906 but the engine was not working with all pistons. His technician, Chapin 14 fix it and he flew the incredible distance of 13 meters.

On October 23, 1906, Santos Dumont presented himself again at Bagatelle with the Oiseau de Proie of Oiseau II, with some small modifications on the original model, the airplane had been varnished to reduce the porosity of the tissue and increase the lift.

At this day the 14 Bis flew 60 meters at 3 meters high. But it was only on November 12, 1906 at 16:45 precisely that the 14 Bis flew 220m at 6 meters high and won the prize offered by the Aeroclub of France - IT WAS THE FIRST DOCUMENTED FLIGHT IN THE HISTORY OF AVIATION.

segunda-feira, 31 de outubro de 2011

The Dirigible Santos=Dumont Number 9 - The most elegant flying machine ever


leia esta matéria em Português

Undoubtedly the Dirigible Santos=Dumont Number 9, also called "La Balladeuse" (the carriage) was the most elegant invention for solo flight.

Santos=Dumont conducted his experiments with style. Trends such as dandy, neo Victorian, steam punk, etc., transformed him in sort of an artist-scientist.

Next, I bring some French and American publications telling about his achievements when he was flying his dirigible Number 9 over the streets of Paris.


- New York Herald June 24, 1903

(You will see that in this text the location of the Santos=Dumont shed is mistakenly located in St. James, when in fact, the true location was in St. Cloud. I put the article as it was written, and I suggest that you may ignore the errors).


"M. Santos-Dumont in his number 9 going for breakfast on the Champs-Elysees.
M. Santos-Dumont Goes in His Number 9 to breakfgast in the Champs-Elysees.
Makes early morning trip from the balloon shed at Neuilly to his residence.

A SATISFACTORY EXPERIMENT

Has constructed landing-stage on his balcony for use on future occasions

M. Santos-Dumont yesterday made an earlier appearing trip in the Santos-Dumont No.9 from his balloon shell at St. James to his residence, No 114 Avenue Chaps-Elysees, where he took breakfast with some friends and then returned to the “starting-point”.

This remarkable ballooning feat formed the subject of a most interesting interview between the aeronaut and a correspondent of the “Français, who found M. Santos Dumont later in the day reading quietly at his balcony at the corner of the rue “Washington” and the avenue des Chaps Elysees. His looking as unconcerned as though he had just returned from a walk.

He stated that he had been desirous for some days of taking a trip over the city but he did not care to take the risk in the small steerable balloon, as it would have been dangerous to travel above the houses with so small an amount of ballast on board. In his No. 9 however, he can carry a greater quantity of ballast, so he decided to make the trip in that balloon.

The weather on Monday had much improved and there was every appearance of the might being a fine one, so M. Santos-Dumont gave orders to his workman to hold themselves in readiness for yesterday morning of about seven or eight o’clock.

The night of Monday turned really beautiful and as chance pulled it, M. Santos-Dumont could not sleep. No he decided to get up much earlier than he had intended. It was three o’clock when he rose, and he immediately put of for the balloon shed, which he reached at four o’clock exactly.

The wind was blowing in the contrary direction to that which he desired to travel and it was no light that he thought, it would not impede the program of the No. 9 to a very great extent.

His workman were all sound asleep when he arrived at the shed, as they were not expecting him until three hours later at the  --- M. Santos-Dumont awoke them, however and they set to work at once on the preparation, which were completed about six o’clock.

All ready.

The automobiles in which the workmen were to follow the balloon were then got out, and all was ready for the start.

M. Santos-Dumont mounted the framework, and the No. 9 sailed into the air, the wind was still very light, and even showed signs of slackening.

There was a slight mist in the air, which was considered a good augury of continuance of fine weather.

The balloon was at first maneuvered in all directions to test the steering apparatus and then a turn was taken towards the Avenue du Bois du Boulogne. M. Santos-Dumont says he had never seen that avenue in such a deserted condition. Not a person was in sight and not another vehicle beyond the two automobiles containing the workman.

The temptation to continue the trip was very great, and M. Santos- Dumont decided to carry it out. He arrived without any difficult at the Arc de Triomphe, his guide-rope trailing along the road, as there was no danger of impeding the traffic under the prevailing conditions.

Round the Arc.

He steered his balloon right round the great monumental arch in order still further to test his steering gear, and the begun his journey along the avenue du Champs Elysees, There almost the same solitude prevailed as in the avenue du Bois although it was then nearly seven o’clock.

Click on the image above to see how Santos=Dumont used the steering apparatus to turn the Dirigible No 9 to the left or to the right

As he approached his residence the streets began to present a more lively appearance. Workmen were going to start their day’s labor, newspaper porters were going to from house to house, and the city watermen had sprinkling the roads.

On arriving the opposite door of his house he recognized some friends, whom he hailed. Then the balloon began to descend and finally aligned exactly before the entrance. The workmen who had followed assisting with the guide-rope.

His Landing Stage.

M. Santos-Dumont explained that later on he would have no need or the services of his workers to assist him in landing at his residence, as he had landing-stage constructed in connection with his balcony and when he arrived home in his balloon it would only be necessary to call up servants. He did not do that yesterday morning as he had not given them notice of his intention.

This landing stage is an excellent arrangement made according to M. Santos-Dumont from the plans given in a book describing the future of aeronautics written by an English author. In this volume a complete system of ballooning is described, which emprises full details of the proper way to land at houses when one is able to steer a balloon. 

Once in his house, M. Santos-Dumont took a light repast with the friends he had hailed in the street, after which he left on his way back to the balloon shed.

Click on the image above to see how Santos=Dumont steer his dirigible Number 9 up and down

At the beginning of the return journey, the wind having meanwhile increased in force, the balloon was directed along the avenue by means of the guide-rope. M. Santos-Dumont himself did not wish to take advantage of this precaution, but his assistants pointed out the danger, and he gave way to their advice.

Once in the Bois, however, the guide-rope was let go, and M. Santos-Dumont resumed his journey, relying on the steering apparatus, and in good time and after a most successful experiment, he arrived at his balloon-shed at St. James.

M. Santos-Dumont is so well satisfied with his experience that he intends shortly to make further trials of the same kind.



Dirigible Number 9 in celebration of July 14, 1903 Long Champ


Airship Number 9 in celebration of July 14, 1903 Long Champ

July 23, 1903 - Santos=Dumont went up with a huge and powerful lighthouse manufactured in the workshops of his friend Louis Bleriot, and with the lighthouse installed in the bow of his number nine, he made the first night flight of an airship.

“I had just sat on the terrace of a café on the Avenue du Bois de Boulogne, and I was enjoying a cold orangeade. Suddenly, I was startled to see an aircraft descend right in front of me. The guide rope wrapped around the legs of my chair. The aircraft stopped just above my knees, and Santos-Dumont disembarked. True crowds advanced and enthusiastically acclaimed the great Brazilian aviator; they admire courage and sportsmanship.


Santos=Dumont kindly apologized for having scared me; after which he ordered an apéritif, sipped it leisurely, climbed back into the airship, and was gone, gliding through space. I am happy to have seen the bird-man with my own eyes.

The next day, I went to the Bois de Boulogne. Just as my car was about to cross the Porte Dauphine, the bird-man landed on the pavement. The police rushed forward, bringing to a halt all passers-by on foot, on horseback and in all types of vehicles. The trotting horses neighed, the engines roared in the cars that were being abruptly braked, jolting their occupants. Nannies who took children out for a walk in the fresh air were nervous. What was going on? Was there any conflict? No. It was Santos-Dumont on another of his aerial tours.

It's night. I go walking under the trees. Suddenly I trip over a rope. This one looks absolutely nothing like Rapunzel's braid. I hear the rustling of leaves above me, and an angry voice shouts:

Night flight of Santos=Dumont through the streets of Paris

'I can not see anything! I'm going to break my head!' I lift my nose in fright, and see a dark monster whose eye glows with acetylene. It's not a gigantic owl; it's Santos-Dumont's enchanted vehicle!

It's dawn, and I'm on my way home. Supper went on for too long, and we had the unreasonable idea of trying new drinks of American origin. My legs feel like Jell-O and my head isn't quite right. The Champs-Elysees is deserted, in the twilight of dawn.

Suddenly someone yells something at me. This is obviously an illusion, as there is no one around at that time. But not! I need to believe my ears! It is really to me that a mysterious voice cries out: ‘Move to the right! My guide rope is going to hit him. It's him again! Always him! Him above all! He descends meekly onto his balcony, and his servants bring him breakfast.”

What End Did N9 Come to?


Santos=Dumont would never leave his best airship in hands he didn't trust, and in fact the man who bought La Baladeuse Nº9 and Santos=Dumont Nº 8, was a great man, as well as the first man to pilot an airship in America, a true Aemrcian friend, Edward C Boyce.

Edward C Boyce was a talented architect, (learn more about Edward C Boyce and his achievements) amusement park magnate and co-owner of Dreamland in Coney Island as well as White City in Chicago.

It is important to say here that perhaps the Number 8 airship, purchased by Boyce, is the modified Number 6, just as No. 6 came from modifications to No. 5 after the accident of 8 August. The criteria for numbering Dumont's airships were never clear.

Boyce was undoubtedly a multifaceted figure at the beginning of the 20th century, who dedicated himself to the emerging aviation of the time, becoming one of the pioneering creators of the Aero Club of America.

This is where the intriguing part comes – there is no date of his birth, death, little is known about his contributions to the Aeroclube, not even a good photo of him.

Photo of Boyce's office 302, Broadway, NY - 1904 Park Catalog

One of the most intriguing claims about him is that he was the first man to pilot an airship in America, as reported in THE EVENING TIMES article of October 1, 1902.
Article in THE EVENING TIMES of October 1, 1902.

“The dispute was between the Santos=Dumont airship No. 8 (some Dumontologists believe it may have been No. 6), the large airship that had been at Brighton Beach all summer, and the Pegasus, the rival aviator's airship, which was in a stable in Manhattan.”

Both Dumont and Boyce, for reasons linked to inflamed egos and distorted historical narratives, never received recognition for their enormous achievements.

sexta-feira, 28 de outubro de 2011

The Flirty Santos=Dumont, Aida de Acosta and Adeline Assis Brazil

Leia este artigo em Português

As much as I search, I always end up stumbling upon the limited data on Santos-Dumont life, particularly with regard to some female figures that passed through the life of the aviator. The first of them is Aida de Acosta. Aida de Acosta was a young American daughter of Ricardo Acosta, a Cuban businessman of the steamships construction business and Micaela Hernandez de Alba y de Alba of an aristocratic Spanish family from Toledo from the House of Alba. She went on vacations of University to Paris with a group of friends.
Steampunk look Santos=Dumont "Charmed"
Fact is, that she became the muse of the hangar. Every time the staff arrive to the hangar, as well as those who gathered there to see the flights always referred to her as: "La belle de Neuilly est arrivée". Among the huge number of people who begged to fly Santos=Dumont dirigible, Aida de Acosta was the chosen one.
What led Santos=Dumont to opt for her was her detachment and fierce desire for adventure. It was easy to identify in Aida the spirit of adventure together with the seriousness necessary to carry out such a task.
Santos set an appointment with her to the next day to teach the basic instructions of flight, Aida anticipated his arrival in Neuilly in half an hour for their first lessons. After the theoretical instruction, they left for practical instructions.
An important observation is that the delicate basket of Balladeuse does not have enough space for two people, therefore S=D flew some times from the outside, however, sometimes he had to go inside the basket (together with her) to have the agility handle de aircraft. On the morning of July 29, 1903 Aida came early to the hangar, flew alone to the polo field of Longchamps, after which, returned to the hangar. Santos=Dumont accompanied every move from the ground from his bicycle. Actually, she was the first woman to fly an aircraft powered by any form of engine. Santos had a brief involvement with her but was abruptly stopped. Mr. Ricardo, the father of Aida, very upset with the relationship said: "How could you Mr. Dumont? How could you have the courage to expose my daughter to such a risk? How could you expose my daughter to the nasty comments of the press? You may know that she had barely got out of puberty. I do not approve your relationship with my daughter. Mr. Dumont, I’d say that there are only two reasons for an honored woman to appear in the pages of newspapers; one is to announce her wedding, the other is to announce her obituary".
Another beautiful woman who appeared in the life of Santos=Dumont was Adeline Assis Brasil. There are some photos among Dumont belongings of the beautiful Adeline.
Inside the well known “Castelo das Pedras” (Stones castle), owned by Lydia Assis Brasil there is a picturesque picture in which Assis Brazil plays to hit an apple on the head of Santos=Dumont just like William Tell.
One thing that few people know is that among Santos=Dumont deeds, he had presented Brazilian people with great gift – The Iguazu falls. The history of the Iguaçu National Park begins in 1916 when Alberto Santos=Dumont, the father of aviation in visiting the family Assis Brasil, got so impressed with the beauty of the falls that used his prestige to interceded with the President of the State of Paraná , Affonso Alves de Camargo, to expropriate it and made it public property. The area belonged to an Uruguayan named Jesus Val On July 28, the Decree No. 63, passed and “Foz do Iguazu” area has been declared a public utility with 1008 hectares.

quinta-feira, 25 de agosto de 2011

The Cap Arcona Tragedy



Leia este artigo em Português


After writing “L’Homme Mecanique” (end of 1928) Santos=Dumont was very excited at the prospect of arriving in Brazil with some new inventions (The “Martian” and the “Icarus” see http://santosdumontlife.blogspot.com/2011/06/lhomme-mecanique.html) and a new book (“L’Homme Mecanique” in the same article), he knew that Brazilian people would never abandon him, and were quite optimistic about the travel outcome, but things were about to change.


Santos=Dumont, Yolanda Penteado, Antonio Prado Junior, José Augusto, Eduardo Ramos, Cesar Vergueiro e os irmãos Marques Lisboa.


Santos decided to come to Brazil on board of a recently christened German luxury ocean liner, named after Cape Arkona, on the island of Rügen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

The Cap Arcona was launched on May 14th 1927, she left on October 29th 1927 the port of Hamburg on her maiden trip to Argentina, transported passengers between Germany and South America up until 1940 when it was taken over by the German Navy. She was considered one of the most beautiful ships of the time, was the largest German ship on the South American run, and carried upper-class travelers and steerage-class emigrants.


The Cap Arcona exuded luxury in their various environments, the outstanding swimming pool, the exuberant ball room, a magnificent tennis course, among others.

The dining room had as principal feature the ten pairs of large windows, arranged five per side, which allowed natural light into the room and gave it a less confined feel was achieved in the enclosed dining rooms aboard North Atlantic liners. The dining room measured 114.6' x 59' x 18'. It was finished in candlewood and jacaranda, with green silk material stretched over it as wall covering. There were three large Gobelin tapestries, and a patterned carpet rather than the more commonly used linoleum floor covering.

The chambers in the interiors managed to convey the same feeling of procession that the Normandy’s famed promenade deck suite did. Dividing walls between the public rooms where reduced to a bare minimum, with only enough retained to give definition to each space. The result was both aesthetically pleasing and practical; in pre-air-conditioned times this configuration allowed for maximum airflow while in the Equatorial zone. The furniture, although of high quality, was broadly spaced.

Cap Arcona had eight suites deluxe on D Deck. These suites consisted of sitting room, bedroom, bathroom, water closet, and trunk room. The suites were finished in cherry wood, walnut, birch, mahogany, East Indian satinwood, cedar and jacaranda. With their three large windows, and lack of clutter, they appear considerably more spacious and airy than their North Atlantic counterparts.

Santos=Dumont had been invited by Antonio Prado Junior, mayor of the city of Rio de Janeiro, to attend a ceremony in which he would inaugurate an avenue named "Avenida Santos Dumont". Santos was accompanied by his nephew, Jorge and they were carrying a large amount of luggage, including the “Martian” and the “Icarus”, (he probably assembly the “Icarus” on the main deck to perform it in front of the public).

The news of the arrival of Santos Dumont in Brazil ever caused alarm, authorities were waiting for him, and them then came the day when the nice and comfortable trip back to Brazil exposed Santos=Dumont to the most shocking moment of his life.

It is a well-known fact that Santos=Dumont had some nervous problems, on January 1910 Santos=Dumont announced that he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and was no more able to fly, and during the middle 20’s he interned himself in some private clinics in Switzerland to rest from stress, friends and family always tried to save him from being teased.

On December 3rd 1928 some Brazilian intellectuals decided to pay him homage by dropping flowers and small parachutes carrying a letter with a welcome message to S=D. Those parachutes would be launched by a Dorner Wal seaplane named “Santos Dumont” of the Condor Syndicate at “Bahia da Ganabara”, moments before CapArcona reach her final destination in Rio de Janeiro.

Two planes where performing the acrobatics, the “Guanabara” (P-BAIA) and the “Santos Dumont” (P-BACA). This last one, piloted by German pilot Wilhelm August Paschen, the “gaucho” co-pilot Enet Rodolpho, German onboard mechanic Walter Hasseldorf, dispatcher William Auth, an employee of Condor named Gustavo Butzke, professor Fernando Laboriaux Filho , Dr. Paul Grace Maya, Brazilian Air Force Major Eduardo Valle (Austrian), journalist Abel Araujo (Jornal do Brazil) and wife, Amoroso Costa, Amaury de Medeiros, Tobias Moscoso and the engineer Frederico de Oliveira Coutinho.

From the deck of the ship Santos was watching the airplanes doing acrobatics, he knew that in moments of euphoria people tended to make mistakes. Santos noted that the Dornier Wal called “Santos Dumont” had exaggerated the curve and then it disappears from the field of vision.


Yolanda Penteado, present at the Deck of Cap Arcona reported what she saw:
“Before the ship dock, the so called “health boat” came with Antonio Prado, very sad. He came aboard and told the tragedy. All people abord died in the accident. Santos Dumont was taken by a dreadful nervousness.
That evening we went to six funerals, one after the other. It caused a terrible pain to him who had, long ago, shattered nerves”.

Historians use to say that this episode was the “trigger” to a big depressive period that ended with the tragic suicide of the “Father of Flight” in July 23rd 1932.

Even the ship itself had a tragic end; contrary to general belief the world’s greatest ship disaster did not occur in the Atlantic Ocean and the ship was not the RMS Titanic. The greatest ship disaster occurred on 3 May 1945 in Lübeck Bay in the Baltic Sea and the ship was the Cap Arcona.

segunda-feira, 27 de junho de 2011

Santos=Dumont erases part of his history in Benérvile


leia este artigo em português

The life of Santos-Dumont could have been better documented, wasn’t for the episode in Benérville, near the French Resort of Deuaville, in which he burns all his documents, photos and personal objects.

It is a known fact that after the experiences with his “Demoiselle” in January 1910, Santos=Dumont was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and as a flame that goes out with the air stream, Santos just disappeared.

He had built a modest house as a refuge in Benérville, nicknamed La Boîte for its square shape.

It is also known that he was visited by some close friends, such as SEM, the now very saddened mechanical Chapin and Roland Garros, who had gone there for the arrangements regarded to the purchase of a Demoiselle number 20 (possibly they played tennis on his magnificent court).


In this 1913 document we see Santos reffering to the construction of "La Boîte"

Due to his now complicated health condition, S=D devoted his life to sports and let his mind busy with scientific pleasures, built an observatory on the roof of his house with a powerful Zeiss telescope to watch the stars.

Santos=Dumont Observatory – Santos=Dumont receive his friends Ferdinand Charron and Emmanuel Aime among others. At back the famous Zeiss telescope.

Looking at these pictures, we can realise that he received visitors not so famous, so it was not possible to know exactly who these people are.


He paid a high price for living a reclusive lifestyle, as soon as the first world war was declared in Europe in August 1914, Santos=Dumont was visited by the Gendarmes in two cars. An Austrian neighbor called Goujon denounced him. He believed that S=D was watching the movement on the coast of the English Channel with his powerful telescope and communicating through nautical flags erected on a ship mast installed next to the house.

By that time, Santos would take advantage of the laurels of his former aviator life, spent in design and style, beside the eccentricities of having nautical pieces installed in the village, he also had a beautiful Alda, 4 cylinder, 15HP, designed and built by his friend Charron.


By scouring the house, the police confiscated several belongings and documents and Santos=Dumont kept under house arrest. Antonio Prado Jr, was alerted and intervened with the Embassy of Brazil to resolve impasse.

Santos=Dumont decided to leave his residence, but not before burning all documents, plans, books and personal objects, without the chance of making duplicates, leading to a great loss of historical documents.

After the withdrawal of the S=D, the Gendarmes returned and confiscated several other objects left by him, including the beautiful car Alda. Exactly 62 years later, in September 1976 Benedic Hubert was at the site where the house was built. He found the place deserted, with only part of the floor among the debris " a magnificent view, both sides, which must have seduced Santos=Dumont" as written in this letter addressed to the family of Santos=Dumont.