Charles Terres Weymann
Encyclopedia
Charles Terres Weymann (2 August 1889–1976) was an early aeroplane racing pilot and businessman. He was born in Port-au-Prince
, Haiti, on 2 August 1889 of an American father and Haitian motherIt is said that Charles Weymann's mother was Cornelie Miot, herself Haitian and daughter of Charles Miot and Lesinska Cecile Rivière, both Haitians. Lesinska Cecile Rivière (1829–1908), Charles's maternal grandmother, was the sister of Bienaimé "Mémé" Rivière, the richest person in Haiti at the time, who owned shipping lines among other things. It is suspected that Charles's aviation ventures were financed with Rivière money. Charles Miot and Lesinska Rivière, Charles' grandparents, established themselves in Paris where they both died.. It has been suggested that his mother and US-born father were on a liner in Haitian waters at the time of his birth. He spoke fluent English and French and seems to have had dual US & French nationality but resided permanently in France. He died in France in 1976.
During World War I he flew for Nieuport
as a test pilot and was awarded the rank of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.
for road vehicles. He opened factories in Paris in 1921, London in 1923 and Indianapolis in 1928. The market for these grew enormously and Weymann licenced his system to many of Europe's most prestigious marques.
A change of fashion in the late 1920s led to a demand for gloss painted bodies and the fabric market disappeared. A system was developed using metal panels with a similar flexible mounting allowing movement between panels. It was used on coachbuilt bodies but it did not suit the demands of mass-production.
The French factory closed in 1930 followed by Indianapolis in 1931. The British plant had turned to the manufacture of bus bodies and survived (as Metro Cammell Weymann
) but Weymann resigned from the company in 1932.
but it did not meet with commercial success.
Weymann returned to aviation with the engineer Georges Lepère and continued to design aircraft, such as the Weymann 66 and autogyro
s at Société des Avions C T Weymann.
Weymann brought a Stutz
DV16 Blackhawk team to Le Mans 1928
and they finished second in the race – to a Bentley.
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
, Haiti, on 2 August 1889 of an American father and Haitian motherIt is said that Charles Weymann's mother was Cornelie Miot, herself Haitian and daughter of Charles Miot and Lesinska Cecile Rivière, both Haitians. Lesinska Cecile Rivière (1829–1908), Charles's maternal grandmother, was the sister of Bienaimé "Mémé" Rivière, the richest person in Haiti at the time, who owned shipping lines among other things. It is suspected that Charles's aviation ventures were financed with Rivière money. Charles Miot and Lesinska Rivière, Charles' grandparents, established themselves in Paris where they both died.. It has been suggested that his mother and US-born father were on a liner in Haitian waters at the time of his birth. He spoke fluent English and French and seems to have had dual US & French nationality but resided permanently in France. He died in France in 1976.
During World War I he flew for Nieuport
Nieuport
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.-Beginnings:...
as a test pilot and was awarded the rank of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.
Fabric bodies
After the war Charles Weymann used his knowledge of airframe manufacture to develop a system of making fabric bodiesWeymann Fabric Bodies
Weymann Fabric Bodies is a patented design system for fuselages for aircraft and superlight coachwork for motor vehicles. The system used a patent-jointed wood frame covered in fabric...
for road vehicles. He opened factories in Paris in 1921, London in 1923 and Indianapolis in 1928. The market for these grew enormously and Weymann licenced his system to many of Europe's most prestigious marques.
A change of fashion in the late 1920s led to a demand for gloss painted bodies and the fabric market disappeared. A system was developed using metal panels with a similar flexible mounting allowing movement between panels. It was used on coachbuilt bodies but it did not suit the demands of mass-production.
The French factory closed in 1930 followed by Indianapolis in 1931. The British plant had turned to the manufacture of bus bodies and survived (as Metro Cammell Weymann
Metro Cammell Weymann
Metro Cammell Weymann was once a major player in transportation manufacturing in the UK and Europe. It was formed in 1932 by Weymann Motor Bodies Ltd and Metro Cammell's bus bodybuilding division to produce bus bodies....
) but Weymann resigned from the company in 1932.
Automatic clutch
He maintained his interest in developing equipment for the automotive industry. In 1963 he obtained a patent for an automatic clutchSemi-automatic transmission
A semi-automatic transmission is an automobile transmission that does not change gears automatically, but rather facilitates manual gear changes by dispensing with the need to press...
but it did not meet with commercial success.
Weymann returned to aviation with the engineer Georges Lepère and continued to design aircraft, such as the Weymann 66 and autogyro
Autogyro
An autogyro , also known as gyroplane, gyrocopter, or rotaplane, is a type of rotorcraft which uses an unpowered rotor in autorotation to develop lift, and an engine-powered propeller, similar to that of a fixed-wing aircraft, to provide thrust...
s at Société des Avions C T Weymann.
Aviation achievements
- He held American Aero Club pilot's license number 24, granted in 1909.
- In August 1910, he participated in the French Circuit de l'Est air competition.
- In September 1910, he attempted to win the Michelin prize by flying from Paris to Puy de Dôme (about 250 miles) with a passenger in six hours. After seven hours he set down about 10 km short of destination – bad weather preventing further progress.
- In May 1911, flying a NieuportNieuportNieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.-Beginnings:...
plane, he participated in the Paris to Madrid flight. - In June 1911, he participated in the flight from Paris to Rome.
- In July 1911, he took part in the Circuit Européen.
- In November 1911 he was the winner of the French Concours Militaire trials held at Reims.
- In 1911, he represented the USA in the 3rd Gordon Bennett Trophy at the Royal Aero ClubRoyal Aero ClubThe Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...
Eastchurch, England.. He was a winner flying a 100 hp Gnome-engined Nieuport over the 25 six-km laps at an average speed of 78.1 mph (125.663 km/h). - In 1912 he won the world's first international air race between JerseyJerseyJersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
and St Malo at an average speed of 60 mph (27 m/s). - He participated in the 1912 Hydroplane contest at MonacoMonacoMonaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
, St-Malo (both France) and the TemseTemseTemse is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Elversele, Steendorp, Temse proper and Tielrode. On January 1, 2006 Temse had a total population of 26,287...
1912 Hydroplane contests in Belgium. - In 1913 he competed for France in the Schneider TrophySchneider TrophyThe Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider was a prize competition for seaplanes. Announced by Jacques Schneider, a financier, balloonist and aircraft enthusiast, in 1911, it offered a prize of roughly £1,000. The race was held eleven times between 1913 and 1931...
race at Monaco but was forced out by engine failure when in the lead.
Motor racing
Stutz Motor Company
The Stutz Motor Company was a producer of luxury cars based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Production began in 1911 and continued through 1935. The marque reappeared in 1968 under the aegis of Stutz Motor Car of America, Inc., and with a newly defined modern retro-look. Although the company is...
DV16 Blackhawk team to Le Mans 1928
1928 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1928 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 6th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 16 and 17 1928.-Official results:-Did Not Finish:-Statistics:* Fastest Lap - #3 Bentley Motors Ltd...
and they finished second in the race – to a Bentley.