José Luis Sánchez Besa
José Luis Sánchez Besa (born February 12, 1879 in Santiago de Chile , † March 2, 1955 in Paris ) was a Chilean aviation pioneer who developed flying boats from 1910 to 1915 in particular.
The engineer José Luis Sánchez Besa came to France in his youth and was interested in the emerging aircraft construction. In 1909 he attended Gabriel Voisin's flight school .
He then began building his own airplanes with pusher propellers in 1910, especially building flying boats . His first major appearance was the Monaco flying boat competition in March 1912. Its pilot Jean Benoît took sixth place in this competition.
In August 1912 he competed in seaplane races in Saint-Malo with two aircraft . Jean Benoît finished fourth and the second driver Paul Rugère fifth. The journey continued to Tamise in Belgium . The pilots Jean Benoît and Émile Ladougne finished 8th and 9th. In August 1913 Paul Rugère competed in the Paris-Deauville race and finished 8th.
The Chilean Air Force was equipped with several Sánchez Besa biplanes from 1912 to 1915. In 1912 the Austro-Hungarian KuK Navy had also acquired a flying boat.
Web links
- Biography at www.thefirstairraces.net
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Sánchez Besa, José Luis |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Chilean aviation pioneer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 12, 1879 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Santiago de Chile |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 2, 1955 |
| Place of death | Paris |