At Rheims, in 1909, he appeared with a Bleriot monoplane, and continued to fly with that type of machine until his death. At Doncaster, England, he made the world record for speed up to that time, travelling at the rate of 49.9 miles per hour. He was killed at Bordeaux, France, in January, 1910, by the fall of his machine.
HENRI FARMAN.
Henri Farman, justly regarded as the most prominent figure in the aviation world today, was born in France in 1873. His father was an Englishman.
While a mere boy he became locally famous as a bicycle racer, and later achieved a wider fame as a fearless and skillful driver in automobile races. In 1902 he won the Paris-Vienna race.
In September, 1907, he made his first attempt to fly, using the second biplane built by his friend Gabriel Voisin, and in the following year he won with it the Deutsch-Archdeacon prize of $10,000. He then built a machine after his own ideas, which more resembles the Wright machine than the Voisin, and with it he has won many prizes, and made many world records. Demands for machines, and for teaching the art of handling them, have poured in upon him, necessitating a continual increase of manufacturing facilities until it may safely be said that he has the largest plant for building flying machines in the world, turning out the largest number of machines, and through his school for aviators is instructing a larger number of pupils annually than any other similar establishment.
ROBERT ESNAULT-PELTERIE.
Robert Esnault-Pelterie was born in 1880, and educated in the city of Paris. He early showed a mechanical turn of mind, and was interested particularly in scientific studies. He became an enthusiast in matters aeronautic, and devoted himself to the construction of gasoline engines suitable for aviation purposes. After satisfying his ideal in this direction with the now famous “R-E-P” motor, he designed a new type of flying machine which is known as the “R-E-P monoplane.” His first flights were made at Buc in October, 1907, and while they were short, they proved the possibility of steering a flying machine so that it would describe a curved line—at that time a considerable achievement among European aviators. In April, 1908, he flew for ¾ of a mile, and reached a height of 100 feet. This feat eclipsed all previous records for monoplanes.
His fame, however, rests upon his motors, which are quite original in design and construction.
COUNT FERDINAND VON ZEPPELIN.
Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin was born in 1838, on the shores of the Lake Constance, where his great airships have had their initial trials.