Lawrence Sperry
Lawrence Burst Sperry (born December 22, 1892 in Chicago , Illinois , † December 13, 1923 after ditching in the English Channel, his body was found on January 11, 1924) was an American pilot and aviation pioneer .
Life
Sperry's interest in aviation began when he designed, built, and flew a glider himself in 1909 . Four years later (1913) he trained as a powered flight pilot at the well-known Curtiss flight schools in Hammondsport (New York) and in San Diego (California).
He had no classical technical training. In the company of his father Elmer Ambrose Sperry , who was an engineer and entrepreneur and specialized in gyrocompasses for ships, he had an environment in which he made numerous inventions and developed innovations.
In late 1917, Lawrence Sperry founded the Lawrence Sperry Aircraft Company in Farmingdale, New York, and held over 20 patents. For, among other:
- Autopilot (first demonstrated in flight on June 18, 1914)
- Artificial horizon
- Gyroscopic instruments for all-weather flight
- Retractable landing gear
- Air torpedo
He subjected his inventions to practical flight tests himself, and he often took on the public presentation. In addition to his essential contributions to instrument flight and flight safety , which are still important in the aerospace industry today, he promoted sport flying and is considered the founder of the “ Mile High Club ”.
He had been missing since December 13, 1923 after being ditched in the English Channel with a Verville-Sperry M-1 Messenger . His body was found on January 11, 1924.
literature
- William Wyatt Davenport: Gyro! The life and times of Lawrence Sperry. Scribner, New York NY 1978, ISBN 0-684-15793-4 .
Web links
- Sperry Inc. History ( Memento from May 23, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
- First Flight Society, Lawrence Sperry ( February 7, 2009 memento in the Internet Archive )
- Allstar Network, Lawrence Sperry
Footnotes
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Sperry, Lawrence |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Sperry, Lawrence Burst; Gyro |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American pilot and inventor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 22, 1892 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Chicago , Illinois , USA |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 13, 1923 |
| Place of death | English Channel |