Vuia I
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Vuia 1, also nicknamed ''Liliacul'' (the
bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...
), was a
pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a person who is among the first at something that is new to a community. A pioneer as a settler is among the first settling at a place that is new to the settler community. A historic example are American pioneers, perso ...
aircraft An aircraft ( aircraft) is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, i ...
designed and built by
Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
inventor Traian Vuia. It was finished in December 1905 in
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and first flew on 18 March 1906 at
Montesson Montesson () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the ÃŽle-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris. Transport in Montesson is served by buses with T-tickets as well as by several Paris-subur ...
.


Background

After finishing his studies, Traian Vuia continued to study the problem of flying, and began building his first aircraft, which he called the ''Aeroplan Automobil''. Being short of funds, Vuia left for
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
in June 1902, hoping he could find someone interested in funding his project. Once there, Vuia met
Georges Besançon Georges Besançon (1866–1934) founded and edited the aeronautical journal ''L'Aérophile''. Besançon was a balloonist ("aeronaut") and journalist. Besançon helped train the later-celebrated balloonist Salomon Andrée, probably in the late 1 ...
, the founder of the aeronautical journal ''
L'Aérophile ''L’Aérophile'' ("The Aerophile") was a French aviation magazine published from 1893 to 1947. It has been described as "the leading aeronautical journal of the world" around 1910. History and contents ''L’Aérophile'' was founded and ru ...
''. With his help, Vuia managed to go through the vast documentation and fundamental works regarding aeronautics. Using the knowledge from other aviation pioneers such as
George Cayley Sir George Cayley, 6th Baronet (27 December 1773 – 15 December 1857) was an English engineer, inventor, and aviator. He is one of the most important people in the history of aeronautics. Many consider him to be the first true scientific ...
,
Clément Ader Clément Ader (; 2 April 1841 – 3 May 1925) was a French inventor and engineer who was born near Toulouse in Muret, Haute-Garonne, and died in Toulouse. He is remembered primarily for his pioneering work in aviation. In 1870 he was also one o ...
,
Samuel Langley Samuel Pierpont Langley (August 22, 1834 – February 27, 1906) was an American aviation pioneer, astronomer and physicist who invented the bolometer. He was the third secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and a professor of astronomy a ...
and
Otto Lilienthal Karl Wilhelm Otto Lilienthal (23 May 1848 – 10 August 1896) was a German pioneer of aviation who became known as the "flying man". He was the first person to make well-documented, repeated, successful flights with gliders, therefore making t ...
, he presented a document to the
Académie des Sciences The French Academy of Sciences (, ) is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French Scientific method, scientific research. It was at the forefron ...
on 16 February 1903. However, his project was rejected with the response that "The problem of flight with a machine which weighs more than air can not be solved and it is only a dream." Refusing to give up, he applied for a French patent on 15 May 1903. The patent (No. 332106) was issued on 17 August and published on 16 October, the same year.


Construction and design

Not being able to find an engine for his airplane, he visited
Victor Tatin Victor Tatin (1843–1913) was a French engineer who created an early airplane, the ''Aéroplane'', in 1879. The craft was the first model airplane to take off using its own power after a run on the ground. The model had a span of and weighed ...
, then addressed automobile manufactures
Clément-Bayard Clément-Bayard, also known as Bayard-Clément, was a French manufacturer of automobiles, aeroplanes and airships founded in 1903 by entrepreneur Adolphe Clément-Bayard, Gustave Adolphe Clément. Clément obtained consent from the Conseil d'Eta ...
and
Buchet Buchet () was a French motorcycle and automobile manufacturer between 1899 and 1930. Origins Société Buchet was founded in 1888 at Levallois-Perret as a producer of lamps. In 1899 Élie-Victor Buchet began to manufacture engines for auto-mak ...
, the latter of which provided the engine for the Santos-Dumont number 6 airship. Neither being able to help him with the engine, Vuia asked for help from Gheorghe Dobrin and together with other members of the Romanian community in Paris like Coriolan Brediceanu and , enough funds were gathered for the engine. Initially, he managed to find an engine at
Courbevoie Courbevoie () is a Communes of France, commune located in the Hauts-de-Seine department of the ÃŽle-de-France region of France. It is a suburb of Paris, from the Kilometre zero, center of Paris. The centre of Courbevoie is situated from the ci ...
, however its manufacturer was
insolvent In accounting, insolvency is the state of being unable to pay the debts, by a person or company ( debtor), at maturity; those in a state of insolvency are said to be ''insolvent''. There are two forms: cash-flow insolvency and balance-sheet in ...
and Vuia lost the money. Inspired by this engine, Vuia designed an engine which was powered by
liquid carbon dioxide Liquid carbon dioxide is the liquid state of carbon dioxide (), which cannot occur under atmospheric pressure. It can only exist at a pressure above , under (temperature of critical point) and above (temperature of triple point). Low-temperatu ...
. He submitted the patent on 14 November 1904, receiving it on 30 May 1905 (No. 349493). With a recommendation from Besançon, Vuia got into contact with an automobile mechanic, Hockenjos, and construction of the aircraft started at the Hockenjos & Schmitt workshops. After initial construction of the aircraft was completed in February 1905, Vuia continued talks with Victor Tatin, who agreed to manufacture the propeller. In August of the same year, Vuia bought a Serpollet engine which he modified after his design. The aircraft was finished in December 1905, with
Ernest Archdeacon Ernest Archdeacon (23 March 1863 – 3 January 1950) was a French lawyer and aviation pioneer before the First World War. He made his first balloon flight at the age of 20. He commissioned a copy of the 1902 Wright No. 3 glider but had only li ...
,
Alberto Santos-Dumont Alberto Santos-Dumont (self-stylised as Alberto Santos=Dumont; 20 July 1873 – 23 July 1932) was a Brazilian aeronaut, sportsman, inventor, and one of the few people to have contributed significantly to the early development of both lighter-t ...
and Victor Tatin being present during the mounting of the engine.


Design

The Vuia 1 was a
parasol monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple wings. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing config ...
, its wings being attached to the upper part of a mobile metal frame which, together with the fixed lower chassis, made up the skeleton of the machine. The two wings could be folded and made up like an
umbrella An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is usually designed to protect a person against rain. The term ''umbrella'' is traditionally used when protec ...
so that the plane could travel on the ground and be parked. The upper frame carried the engine, the airscrew and the
rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, airship, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (usually air or water). On an airplane, the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw ...
. The lower chassis had four wheels with
pneumatic tires A tire (North American English) or tyre (Commonwealth English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide traction on the surface over w ...
, the front wheels having shock-absorbing springs. On the lower chassis the following components of the engine were mounted: the generator (a boiler which vaporized the
carbonic acid gas Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in a gas state at room temperature and at normally-encounter ...
), the acid gas tank, the
kerosene Kerosene, or paraffin, is a combustibility, combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in Aviation fuel, aviation as well as households. Its name derives from the Greek (''kērós'') meaning " ...
tank (the burning of which was giving the necessary vaporizing temperature), the rudder and engine control devices, as well as the pilot seat. The link between the lower chassis and the upper frame was ensured by a set of four steel tubes, starting above each wheel and joined in a tip end, forming two triangles on each side. Between the tips of these triangles a steel tube, which in a horizontal plane was perpendicular to the flight path, supported the upper frame and the wings. This way the transversal tube became an axis around which the system formed by the upper frame and the wings was oscillating, allowing the variation of the angle of incidence while in flight, thus playing the role of an
elevator An elevator (American English) or lift (Commonwealth English) is a machine that vertically transports people or freight between levels. They are typically powered by electric motors that drive traction cables and counterweight systems suc ...
. Hence, Traian Vuia was the first in the world to build wings with variable incidence during flight, an idea taken up later by other aircraft constructors.


Flights

After the aircraft was finished in December 1905, Vuia first tested it on the ground, going with 40 km/h without using the full power of the engine. In February 1906, Vuia made the first test of the aircraft without the wings on a road at Montesson. The test was watched by Georges Besançon, duke and viscount Decazes,
Gustave Hermite Gustave Hermite (11 June 1863 – 9 November 1914) was a French aeronaut and physicist, pioneer with Georges Besançon of the weather balloon. He was the nephew of Charles Hermite, one of the fathers of modern mathematical analysis. Biography Gu ...
, Albert de Masfrand, journalists and photographers. The news of his aircraft was published the next day in France and Britain. On 6 March, it was decided to mount the wings. On 18 March 1906, at 3.05 p.m., while in the presence of Hockenjos, Tiefenbacher, Watelet and mechanic Lallemand, the Vuia 1 lifted off the ground and flew at a height of about for about before the engine stopped. The aircraft, moved by the wind, hit a tree while coming down, damaging its wing and propeller. On 6 May, Vuia flew again, however this flight was interrupted when a wing mount detached and damaged the
canvas Canvas is an extremely durable Plain weave, plain-woven Cloth, fabric used for making sails, tents, Tent#Marquees and larger tents, marquees, backpacks, Shelter (building), shelters, as a Support (art), support for oil painting and for other ite ...
. The wing was quickly fixed with a white patch being added over the damaged part. Following this flight, Vuia would start looking for a new place to carry out his tests, obtaining the approval to use the military field at
Issy-les-Moulineaux Issy-les-Moulineaux () is a commune in the southwestern suburban area of Paris, France, lying on the left bank of the river Seine. Its citizens are called in French. It is one of Paris's entrances and is located from Notre Dame Cathedral, whic ...
only on Sundays. The first flight on the new field took place on 24 June, during which several short hops were achieved. On 1 July several more, longer hops, were achieved. Following this attempt, Vuia brought new modifications to his machine, which would be named ''Vuia 1-bis''.


Vuia 1-bis

After some successive changes, Vuia completed the upgrades in August. The wings of this machine had a smaller wing
camber Camber may refer to a variety of curvatures and angles: * Camber angle, the angle made by the wheels of a vehicle * Camber beam, an upward curvature of a joist to compensate for load deflection due in buildings * Camber thrust in bike technology * ...
and an orientable
stabilizer Stabilizer, stabiliser, stabilisation or stabilization may refer to: Chemistry and food processing * Stabilizer (chemistry), a substance added to prevent unwanted change in state of another substance ** Polymer stabilizers are stabilizers used ...
, improving the aerodynamic qualities of the plane. The angle of incidence was no longer adjusted in flight, being fixed before takeoff. The efficiency of the engine was also improved by increasing the airscrew's speed to 930 turns per minute. During the experiments the weight of the machine was changed several times. Initially planned to have 240 kg, the weight of the machine eventually reached 275 kg. On 19 August a longer hop of at a height of about was made, ending in a heavy landing which damaged the propeller. Following this test, the other aviation pioneers started to pay more attention to Vuia's flights, and will resort to Vuia's solution of launching their machines directly on wheels. The flight tests on 7 and 14 October were the first with an official presence. The control of the results being carried out by Ernest Archdeacon and
Édouard Surcouf Édouard Surcouf (1862–1938) was a French engineer, maker and pilot of dirigibles, and industrialist. Biography Astra triplane, participant at the military concours d'aviation, 1911 Édouard Surcouf, an aeronautics enthusiast from an ea ...
. An accident, however, would put a stop to other tests in 1906, with Vuia also being unable to enroll in the
Aéro-Club de France The Aéro-Club de France () is one of the oldest French aviators' associations still active. It was founded as the Aéro-Club on 20 October 1898 as a society 'to encourage aerial locomotion' by Ernest Archdeacon, Léon Serpollet, Henri de la ...
and participate in Archdeacon's Grand Prix due to monetary problems. Vuia would carry out more tests on his Vuia 1-bis until 30 March 1907. However these were not more successful than the previous ones, Vuia giving up on the carbon dioxide engine and instead building an aircraft powered by a 25 hp
Antoinette Antoinette is a given name, that is a diminutive feminine form of Antoine and Antonia (from Latin ''Antonius''). People with the name include: Nobles * Antoinette de Maignelais, Baroness of Villequier by marriage (1434–1474), mistress of ...
engine, the Vuia 2.


Legacy

Vuia's tests were followed with attention by other aviation pioneers such as Ernest Archdeacon,
Louis Blériot Louis Charles Joseph Blériot ( , also , ; 1 July 1872 – 1 August 1936) was a French aviator, inventor, and engineer. He developed the first practical headlamp for cars and established a profitable business manufacturing them, using much of t ...
,
Gabriel Voisin 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 m ...
,
Ferdinand Ferber Louis Ferdinand Ferber (8 February 1862 – 22 September 1909) was a French Army officer who played an important role in the development of aviation during the early 1900s. Although his aircraft experiments were belatedly successful, his early ...
and Alberto Santos-Dumont. According to Charles Dollfus, former curator of the Air Museum in Paris, Santos-Dumont's use of wheels on his aircraft was influenced by seeing Vuia's flight attempts. Vuia's monoplane design also inspired Blériot in designing monoplanes. In 2006, a working replica of Vuia's airplane was built to celebrate 100 years since his first flight. The replica was built by the Timișoara Academic Cultural Foundation (FACT) and was powered by a 25 hp
Rotax Rotax is the brand name for a range of internal combustion engines developed and manufactured by the Austrian company BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG (until 2016 BRP-Powertrain GmbH & Co. KG), in turn owned by the Canadian Bombardier Recreational Prod ...
engine. It was on display for a few days in
Timișoara Timișoara (, , ; , also or ; ; ; see #Etymology, other names) is the capital city of Timiș County, Banat, and the main economic, social and cultural center in Western Romania. Located on the Bega (Tisza), Bega River, Timișoara is consider ...
, then it was displayed at Montesson then taken on a tour through several European cities. The airplane was presented with its engine running without any flight attempts.


Specifications (Vuia 1)


See also

*
Santos-Dumont 14-bis The ''14-bis'' (; (; , approximating "14A"), also known as ("bird of prey" in French), was a pioneer era, canard-style biplane designed and built by Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont. In 1906, near Paris, the ''14-bis'' made a ...
*
Louis Blériot Louis Charles Joseph Blériot ( , also , ; 1 July 1872 – 1 August 1936) was a French aviator, inventor, and engineer. He developed the first practical headlamp for cars and established a profitable business manufacturing them, using much of t ...
*
Jacob Ellehammer Jacob Christian Hansen-Ellehammer (born 14 June 1871 in Bakkebølle, died 20 May 1946 in Gentofte) was a Danish inventor and aviation pioneer. He obtained a total of 59 Danish patents and worked with many different things, including amusement ...
*
Wright brothers The Wright brothers, Orville Wright (August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948) and Wilbur Wright (April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912), were American aviation List of aviation pioneers, pioneers generally credited with inventing, building, and flyin ...
*
Otto Lilienthal Karl Wilhelm Otto Lilienthal (23 May 1848 – 10 August 1896) was a German pioneer of aviation who became known as the "flying man". He was the first person to make well-documented, repeated, successful flights with gliders, therefore making t ...


References


Notes

{{Notelist Parasol-wing aircraft Romanian civil aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1906 Monoplanes Single-engined tractor aircraft