Voisin Chrome

Voisin Chrome

Voisin biplane

One look at the Voisin biplane reveals exactly what one would expect from a vintage plane: a design a bit awkward with wings double coated fabric, a propeller, an aerodynamic surface that stands in front of the fuselage, and a square, kite-like tail. But in 1907 standards, was considered "advanced."

Its designer, Gabriel Voisin, the son of an engineer in the province, was born in Belleville, France, in 1880, initially demonstrate mechanical aptitude and aviation through his boat, automobile, and the interests of the comet. An admirer of Clément Ader, trained as an architect and artist at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, and later introduced to Ernest Archdeacon, a wealthy lawyer and aviation enthusiast, who later commissioned the design of a glider.

Using inaccurate and incomplete drawings Wright Brothers 1902, published in L'Aerophile sailing, the magazine of the Aero-Club, Voisin a cell built in 1904, which had only a superficial resemblance to its original state. Sporting dual wings divided by vertical partitions, a plane bringing forward, and a tail of two-cell box kite, which lacked the Wright-designed wing-strain method, and therefore had no means by which lateral control could be exercised. Two thirds the original size, which was 40 pounds lighter.

With the support of floats and attached to a boat racing Panhard-motor, sailing tried his first fight since the river Seine on June 8, 1905, as described himself Voisin. "Little by little carefully, (the coxswain) took over from my tow … "he wrote." I had the checks ready. I waited a while and then introduced myself in the elevator. "

Virtually catapulted into the sky suddenly the air exert their effects on its airfoils, which rose as poplar trees high and covering the river, but the candle unstable, unable to be controlled around its lateral axis, almost as abruptly nose into the water after of 50 feet, the bell curve downward, sinking below the surface and dip briefly pilot.

Despite the failed attempt, Louis Blériot, witnessing the event, then approached to build a cell Voisin second to him.

On the basis of the first, shows a reduced scale with a higher curvature and slope, vertical side panels, and a tail of a single cell, but suffered a similar fate, which covers about 100 feet during its test flight on July 18 side-slipped immediately after taking the air, once again plunging into the River.

Despite its inherent lack of roll control, however, served as the basis for the later Voisin and other principles from European designs.

Voisin and Blériot, briefly forming a partnership, produced by aircraft also without success, in large part to the radicalism of the latter, the ever-changing ideas. The Blériot III, for example, looked elliptical wings and was powered by a 24-horsepower Antoinette, but failed to raise enough when equipped with floats. Cropped as a land machine with a wheel landing gear and a second engine, which hit a rock during the acceleration, jumping across a ditch, sniffing more, and abruptly ends his career with the collaboration Voisin, Blériot.

Gabriel Voisin, Blériot buying interest in 1906, reformed partnership with his brother, Carlos, the creation of "Appareils d'Aviation Les Freres Voisin" or "Voisin brothers flying machines" is established, as an extension of the company in Bleriot, the first European aircraft manufacturer in Billancourt, with financial support from Inthis Archdeacon and three others. Aviation industry was indeed launched.

The team of Gabriel and Charles Voisin, ironically, reflects its Orville and Wilbur Wright Brothers counterparts across the Atlantic. Gabriel, for example, the larger of the two and the Chief Engineer provided most of the momentum and direction, while Charles is generally assumed a supporting role. As in the case of the two teams, both were halved in 1912 when one of two brothers who succumb to lack of aviation-related deaths, although in this case the parallel juxtaposed: Wilbur, the elder of the two, died of typhoid fever, while Carlos, the youngest of two, died in a car accident. However, Gabriel and Carlos, were appointed to rank among the finest in Europe in early aviation pioneers.

His first plane, broadly based on the Wright gliders with a forward elevator and wings of equal size and powered by a 20 hp Buchet, essentially a box-kite was built by Henry Kapferer airship in March 1907, but not to fly. The second, commissioned by Leon Delagrange, sculptor and contemporary Voisin School des Beaux-Arts-hoax was his first full standard pusher biplane, which incorporates features of several airmen then outstanding, including Octave Chanute (biplane wings), the Wright brothers (elevator forward), and Lawrence Hargrave (comet tail box).

With an ash framing, steel boards, square fuselage served as a common connection point to raise his plane forward, the pilot seat, and their wings, engine, and tail, wearing two rectangular, overlapping wings spanning 37.8 feet and cotton linings rubber fabric, called "continental cotton, stretched over the ribs from the ashes. Had a depth of 6.56 meters, a relationship Aspect of 5.75 to 1, and 496 the total square feet.

Like its predecessor glider, which is robust and strong, but lacks any of the wing-strain or method of control of the lateral wings, however, which contained four vertical planes, partitions, install at fixed intervals, which are divided into individual cells. Although Voisin had intended to provide the necessary lateral stability with them and Berget had praised the vertical configuration of the keel, banking was relegated to wide turns, rudder slow strain-induced.

A single, flat 41 square meters elevation, protruding in front of the structure the fuselage in an agreement duck, while a tail of cash, divided into two cells, is attached behind it, a feature that would become in designs feature Voisin, 1910.

Invented in 1893 by Australian Lawrence Hargrave, structure, divided into cells formed wall side shows the tandem wing concept introduced by Alberto Santos-Dumont, with his 14 bis biplane and employed by Samuel Pierpont Langley. Although it resulted in a particular structure strong, Hargrave was suspended their own box-kite hang glider experiments when he experienced a series of hard landings. The construction method used by aircraft Europe, classified, along with the ailerons, a tractor (as opposed to push) biplane configurations, and the relocation front pitch control in the rear of the aircraft, as one of the four major improvements in the design of the early to mid 1900.

A rudder turning 25 square meters, which is attached to the cell center Aft, provided vertical control.

Power was provided by a 50 hp Antoinette Leon Levavasseur designed engine installed in the central frame back behind the main biplane, which operate on the configuration button and driving a double-edged metal propeller diameter of 7.6 meters set at 4.6 feet pitch.

Resting in one corner of the nose above the ground, the aircraft was supported by two large wheels, tires, Spring tired cushions, while two others, although smaller units, he served as tailwheels. Another, attached below the plane bringing forward, provided protection for the nose-in landings.

The open cockpit, consisting of a single cane seat mounted between the edges of the main wings' leading and motor, which sported a circular wheel forward and backward travel diverted the plane forward through elevation pushrods and whose left and right rotation enabled the rudder through cable connections.

The 1,250 kilos biplane Voisin, first flight in 1907, up 23 pounds per horsepower and pounds per square foot of wing surface 2.37, reaching speeds of 35 miles per hour.

Gradually become familiar with the type, which had been designated as an alternative to the "Voisin-Delagrange," Delagrange had been able to cover 500 feet fall 1907.

Accident during the second of two flights in Issy-les-Molineaux, in November, was rebuilt as the Voisin-Delagrange II, using as many original parts Callable as possible, while success is easier to manage "III" with curtains inside two main interplane struts.

A little larger and heavier, the following Voisin biplane known as "Voisin-Farman," was built by Henry (Enrique Franch) Farman, whose father English was a correspondent based in Paris. Speaking French and English, Henry had been active in bicycle and automobile racing, but after to sustain injuries in 1905 James Gordon Bennett race car, he changed his interest in aviation, first of all try to take the air at a Chanute-Herring Glider before ordering a biplane powered directly from the factory Voisin brothers.

Given permission to the practice of Issy-les-Moulineaux located military parade on the left bank of the river Seine in the shadow of the Societe Astra and Clement-Bayard dirigible hangars, rapidly improved the performance of roll acceleration on the floor, unobstructed field of dust, which often became cloudy during rainy conditions. Following his example, other balloonists is also emerging suitable surface for air testing, more quickly establishes permanent presence there with wooden sheds until the area such as College Park, Maryland, developed Europe's first practice "airport." Many viewers saw an increasing number of flight activity, which later assumed a more structured way, the air race.

To encourage the advancement of aeronautics in France, the Aero-Club has established a number of challenges increasingly difficult and in 1904 in exchange for increasing the monetary rewards. A silver trophy, for example, was offered at 25 meters Coupe Ernest Archdeacon, while medal silver and 100 francs were awarded to the first ten pilots who could fly 60 meters. Monetary compensation along with distance and higher, respectively, 100 meters and 1,500 francs, and the Grand Prix of Aviation Deutsch archdeacon, requiring a circular pattern of a mile, led to a compensation of 50,000 francs.

The transfer of its ability to compete with land-based flights, expressed by Voisin-Farman Farman biplane me achieve exponential success. On 30 September 1907 for example, made a flight of 30 meters. This increased to 285 meters on October 15 and 11 days later, covered 2540 meters in a record 52.6 seconds in his amended Voisin-Farman I-bis, which introduced dihedral wing monoplane and a surface elevation. Unofficially complete a circuit of 3380 meters on November 9, in one minute, 14 seconds which exceeded the 17 December 1903 the Wright brothers duration of 15 seconds, the first European attempt to do so. And on 13 January the following year, won the coveted 50,000 Swiss Grand Prix d'Aviation Award Deutsch-Archdeacon in Issy-les-Moulineaux, when they blew a mile round trip in one minute, 28 seconds. From the side no control plane had to make very wide turns with the help of its rudder alone, however, that actually covers a shorter distance of 1.6 kilometers. It was then the longest in Europe sector.

Continually modifying their aircraft, regained its surface with a wetsuit, reducing his time stabilizer and replaced its original engine with a Renault Antoinette 50 hp, but was quickly restored after a single event, creating the first practical design European process.

Continued to accumulate distance records: March 20, flew 4,500 meters in three minutes, 29 seconds, 23 June, covered more 14 kilometers in 18 minutes, 30 seconds in Milan, July 6, won the prize Armengoud 10,000 francs for the first flight to stay airborne for more than 15 minutes flew 20.4 miles in 20 minutes, 20 seconds in Ghent, Belgium.

A fan said: "What George Stephenson made by the locomotive, Farman made the plane. "

Subject to continuous change, the basic design Voisin biplane, which was sold in significant quantities ultimately was presented with two 50 – and 60-horsepower Antoinette, ENV, Gnome, Itala, Renault, and Vivinus engines, airplane wings devoid of bringing forward, and, remedy its most important deficiency.

The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome example, an original built by Norvin C. Rineke of Easton, Pennsylvania, in 1909, incorporates several non-standard features, including a chrome-molybdenum steel welded tube frame, which replaced the original wood, and a V-8 engine of his own design.

Disassembled and stored in the rafters of your cable company and the rope after only half a dozen fights, was discovered by Cole Palen about 62 years later. He restored him to his home in Florida in 1973, showing that at the airfield until it was transferred to two other prestigious museums in 1979: the National Museum Air and Space Museum in Washington and the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space in New York. Back "home", which now stands on display at the new Museum building in hill in front of the Pioneer, WWI, and hangars Lindbergh.

The classic profile of the duck, push, cash Voisin biplane kite, despite his young side control constraints and slow, turning all aerial maneuvers, however, became one of the most important pioneers planes in practice between 1907 and 1910.

About the Author

A graduate of Long Island University-C.W. Post Campus with a summa-cum-laude Bachelor of Arts Degree in Comparative Languages and Journalism, I have subsequently earned the Associate in Applied Science Degree in Aerospace Technology at the State University of New York – College of Technology at Farmingdale.  I have also earned the Continuing Community Education Teaching Certificate from the Nassau Association for Continuing Community Education (NACCE) at Molloy College, the Travel Career Development Certificate from the Institute of Certified Travel Agents (ICTA) at LIU, the Art and Science of Teaching Certificate at Long Island University, and completed a Multi-Genre Writing Program at Hofstra University.  At SUNY Farmingdale Aerospace I completed some 30 hours of Private Pilot Flight Training in Cessna C-152 and -172 aircraft.

Having amassed almost three decades in the airline industry, I managed the New York-JFK and Washington-Dulles stations at Austrian Airlines, created the North American Station Training Program, served as an Aviation Advisor to Farmingdale State University of New York, and devised and taught the Airline Management Certificate Program at the Long Island Educational Opportunity Center.

A freelance author, I have written some 70 books of the short story, novel, nonfiction, essay, poetry, article, log, curriculum, training manual, and textbook genre in English, German, and Spanish, having principally focused on aviation and travel, and I have been published in book, magazine, newsletter, and electronic Web site form. I am a writer for Cole Palen’s Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in New York. I have made some 350 lifetime trips by air, sea, rail, and road.