Did Santos Dumont invent the airplane?

(Wikimedia Commons/)

READER’S QUESTION Joana Salles, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
ILLUSTRATES Kiko Mauriz
EDITION Felipe van Deursen

It’s not like that. In fact, it is difficult to elect a single inventor for the airplane, as several other similar experiments were happening simultaneously around the world. The German Otto Lilienthal, for example, was already flying with a glider when he died in 1896. In the USA, the Wright brothers traveled 260 m with their aircraft, three years before the Brazilian. In any case, the contribution of dumont for aviation. In addition to having created the first model airplane to be produced on a large scale in history, many of his inventions are still used today.

JUST THE WAY
To assemble the 14 Bis, saints dumont he used bamboo, wood, Japanese silk, aluminum and some workarounds. He had employees working on the project, but it was common to see him hands-on.

– (Kiko Mauriz)

• The wheels were taken off a bicycle.

These parts were inspired by the “Hargrave Cells”, by Australian inventor Lawrence Hargrave: basically hollow square boxes that work like kites– (Kiko Mauriz)

The wings were V-shaped for stability. The Wright brothers used the same technique but with the reverse angle.– (Kiko Mauriz)

– (Kiko Mauriz)

– (Kiko Mauriz)

Other models
The 14 Bis is the most famous of a series of aircraft by the inventor

1. Model 1
   Cigar-shaped, it was 25 m long. It used hydrogen and a gasoline propulsion engine. did not perform well
2. Model 09
   One of the smallest that the inventor built. Because it was easy to land in the city, it was the most used for saints dumont to stroll
3. Model 06
   It was with this airship that saints dumont around the Eiffel Tower in Paris in 1901. The inventor was already famous, but after that he became a global celebrity
4. Model 13
   It was never tested, as it was destroyed in a storm. Fortunately! The combination of hydrogen with a hot air generator made it highly flammable.
5. Model 19/20
   Because it was light and sophisticated, the machine was nicknamed “Demoiselle” (French for “dragonfly”). Full of innovations, such as the rudder in a more suitable place, the model is one of the most important of saints dumont

READ TOO:
+ How does air travel affect the body?
+ How does the plane fly?
+ How does the cockpit of an airplane work?
+ What happens if a plane door opens during a flight?

SOURCES Books Wings of Madnessby Paul Hoffman The Balloons saints dumontby Rodrigo Moura Visoni, What I’ve Seen, What We’ll Seein saints dumont; documentary Man Can Fly, by Nelson Hoineff; websites Museum of Tomorrow, Foundation saints dumont It is National Civil Aviation Association