Alphonse Pénaud
Alphonse Pénaud (born May 31, 1850 in Paris , † October 22, 1880 by suicide ) was a French air technician.
Through his work he acquired extensive knowledge of flight technology. He invented the in today Modellsport used rubber engine . In 1871 his rubber motor-powered flight model " Planophore " with a 45 cm wingspan and a weight of 16 g flew 60 m. Pénaud's Planaphore inspired the Wright brothers , who owned one of the models before 1899 and reported on it.
Pénaud published numerous works in the magazine L'Aéronaute , including his explanation of the "thermal updraft". In 1876 he patented a successful swing - wing aircraft with retractable landing gear , curved wings and devices to compensate for the rudder forces .
Presumably because of the hesitant implementation of his aircraft project, Pénaud committed suicide in 1880. Since 1960 he has given its name to Mount Pénaud , a mountain in Graham Land in Antarctica.
literature
- Engelbert Zaschka : rotary wing aircraft. Gyroscopes and helicopters. CJE Volckmann Nachf. E. Wette, Berlin-Charlottenburg 1936, OCLC 20483709 .
See also
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Pénaud, Alphonse |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French flight technician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 31, 1850 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Paris |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 22, 1880 |
| Place of death | Paris |