Alberto Santos-Dumont

Alberto Santos-Dumont was a Brazilian aeronaut, sportsman, inventor, and one of the few people to have contributed significantly to the early development of both lighter-than-air and heavier-than-air aircraft. The heir of a wealthy family of coffee producers, he dedicated himself to aeronautical study and experimentation in Paris, where he spent most of his adult life. He designed, built, and flew the first powered airships and won the Deutsch prize pt]in 1901, when he flew around the Eiffel Tower in his airship No. 6, becoming one of the most famous people in the world in the early 20th century. Santos-Dumont then progressed to powered heavier-than-air machines and on 23 October 1906 flew about 60 metres at a height of two to three metres with the fixed-wing 14-bis also dubbed the Oiseau de proie bird of prey at the Bagatelle Gamefield in Paris, taking off unassisted by an external launch system. On 12 November in front of a crowd, he flew 220 metres at a height of six metres. These were the first heavier-than-air flights certified by the Aeroclub of France, the first such flights officially witnessed by an aeronautics recordkeeping body, and the first of their kind recognised by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. ⁵ Santos-Dumont is a national hero in Brazil, where it is popularly held that he preceded the Wright brothers in demonstrating a practical aeroplane. Numerous roads, plazas, schools, monuments, and airports there are dedicated to him, and his name is inscribed on the Tancredo Neves Pantheon of the Fatherland and Freedom. He was a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters from 1931 until his suicide in 1932. Santos-Dumont was the son of the Coffee King of Brazil. His family owned a large and successful coffee plantation and made extensive use of labor-saving inventions. Next to Jules Verne’s adventures, Santos-Dumont was influenced by the various possibilities on the plantation, driving steam tractors and locomotive. ¹ Santos-Dumont was fascinated by flight since childhood. He was inspired by the stories of Jules Verne and the experiments of the Brazilian balloonist Augusto Severo de Albuquerque Maranhão. He decided to pursue his dream of flying in France, where he moved in 1891. He studied physics, chemistry, mechanics, and electricity, and became acquainted with the leading figures of the French scientific community. He also developed a passion for automobile racing and sports. ²¹ Santos-Dumont began his aeronautical career by constructing balloons. In 1898, he built his first balloon, the Brésil, which he used to test the effects of varying the balloon's altitude. He then designed and built a series of steerable balloons, or dirigibles, that he named Santos-Dumont No. 1 to No. 22. He made several flights over Paris, demonstrating his ability to control the direction, speed, and altitude of his airships. He also made some of the first good steering systems for hot air balloons. He is called the Father of Aviation in Brazil. ² Santos-Dumont achieved international fame when he won the Deutsch de la Meurthe prize on 19 October 1901 for flying from the Parc Saint Cloud to the Eiffel Tower and back in less than 30 minutes with his airship No. 6. He donated half of the prize money to his crew and the other half to the poor of Paris. He also received the Archdeacon prize for the first flight of more than 100 metres with his airship No. 9, nicknamed La Baladeuse. He often used his airships to fly to his favourite restaurants, or to visit his friends, such as the artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. ²¹ Santos-Dumont then turned his attention to heavier-than-air flight. He experimented with various designs, including a helicopter and a monoplane. He finally settled on a biplane configuration, which he named 14-bis or Oiseau de proie. He attached a wheeled undercarriage to allow for takeoff and landing without assistance. He also added movable surfaces to the wings and tail to control the pitch and roll of the aircraft. He used a 50-horsepower Antoinette engine to power a tractor propeller. ²¹ On 23 October 1906, Santos-Dumont made the first public flight of a powered heavier-than-air machine in Europe, flying his 14-bis for about 60 metres at a height of two to three metres at the Bagatelle field in Paris. The flight was certified by the Aeroclub of France and the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. On 12 November, he improved his record by flying 220 metres at a height of six metres, winning the Aéro-Club de France prize for the first flight of more than 100 metres. His flights were witnessed by large crowds and reported by the press, sparking a wave of enthusiasm for aviation in Europe. ²¹ Santos-Dumont continued to improve his aircraft, building the Demoiselle or No. 19, which was a small, light, and fast monoplane. He flew it in 1907 and 1908, reaching speeds of up to 120 km h. He also made plans to mass-produce it and sell it at an affordable price, but the project was not realized. He also designed a seaplane, a hydrofoil, and a collapsible bicycle. He published his book My Air-Ships in 1904, in which he described his experiments and adventures with balloons and airplanes. ²¹ Santos-Dumont retired from aviation in 1910, apparently because of the onset of multiple sclerosis. He then entered a period of slow physical and mental decline, ending in his suicide in Brazil at the age of 59. Some sources say this was because he was sad that airplanes had become weapons in World War I and other wars. He was also depressed by the lack of recognition for his achievements, especially in comparison to the Wright brothers, who claimed to have flown before him in 1903, but whose flights were not verified by any official body or independent witnesses. ²⁷⁸ Santos-Dumont was a visionary and a humanitarian, who believed that aviation would bring peace and prosperity to the world. He was also a charming and eccentric personality, who wore a trademark Panama hat and a high-collared shirt. He was a friend of many celebrities, such as Louis Cartier, who designed a wristwatch for him to use while flying. He was also a generous patron of the arts and sciences, and a supporter of various social causes. He was buried at the São João Batista cemetery in Rio de Janeiro, where his tombstone bears the inscription The Father of Aviation. ²¹