Jan Kašpar
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Jan Kašpar (born May 20, 1883 in Pardubice ; † March 2, 1927 there ) was a Czech engineer and the first aircraft designer and pilot in what is now the Czech Republic .
Life
Kaspar studied mechanical engineering at the Czech Technical University in Prague . The enthusiastic cyclist and motorist who worked at the Laurin & Klement automobile factory developed the first Czech aircraft engine together with other engineers. He later left the company and, together with his cousin Eugen Čihák, designed some simple flying machines. However, these planes had a low level of efficiency and mostly crashed. The cousins later parted ways and Kašpar designed his own aircraft.
In 1911 he bought a Blériot Aéronautique aircraft and made his first flight attempts on the meadows near Pardubice. On May 13, 1911, he carried out his first historic long-distance flight from Pardubitz to Prague-Chuchle and thus opened the era of aviation in Bohemia . He later donated the aircraft to the Technical Museum in Prague .
Further flight attempts followed, also with passengers. After the outbreak of World War I, Kašpar became impoverished. The fact that his services to aviation were not recognized also burdened him mentally; he committed 1927 suicide .
literature
- J. Fleybeck: Jan Kašpar: Přemožitelé času 17, 71-75, MON Prague 1989
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kašpar, Jan |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Kaspar, Jan |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Czech aircraft designer and pilot |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 20, 1883 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Pardubice |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 2, 1927 |
| Place of death | Pardubice |