Henri Fabre
Encyclopedia
Henri Fabre was a French
aviator
and the inventor of Le Canard
, the first seaplane
in history.
Henri Fabre was born into a prominent family of shipowners in the city of Marseilles. He was educated in the Jesuit College of Marseilles, where he undertook advanced studies in sciences. He then studied intensively aeroplane and propeller
designs. He patented a system of flotation devices, which he used when he succeeded in taking off from the surface of the Etang de Berre
on March 28, 1910. On that day, he completed four consecutive flights, the longest about 600 meters. "Le Canard", has survived and is displayed in the airport at Marseilles. Henri Fabre was soon contacted by Glenn Curtiss
and Gabriel Voisin
who used his invention to develop their own seaplanes.
As late as 1971 the aged Fabre could still be seen sailing his own boat single handedly in Marseille
harbor.
He died at the age of 101, as one of the last living pioneers of human flight.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
and the inventor of Le Canard
Le Canard
|-See also:-References:* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft , 1985, Orbis Publishing-External links:*...
, the first seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
in history.
Henri Fabre was born into a prominent family of shipowners in the city of Marseilles. He was educated in the Jesuit College of Marseilles, where he undertook advanced studies in sciences. He then studied intensively aeroplane and propeller
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
designs. He patented a system of flotation devices, which he used when he succeeded in taking off from the surface of the Etang de Berre
Étang de Berre
The Étang de Berre is a body of water adjacent to the Mediterranean, about 25km north-west of Marseille.-Geography:Created by the rise in water levels at the end of the last ice age, this small inland sea is composed of...
on March 28, 1910. On that day, he completed four consecutive flights, the longest about 600 meters. "Le Canard", has survived and is displayed in the airport at Marseilles. Henri Fabre was soon contacted by Glenn Curtiss
Glenn Curtiss
Glenn Hammond Curtiss was an American aviation pioneer and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle then motorcycle builder and racer, later also manufacturing engines for airships as early as 1906...
and Gabriel Voisin
Gabriel Voisin
Gabriel Voisin was an aviation pioneer and the creator of Europe's first manned, engine-powered, heavier-than-air aircraft capable of a sustained , circular, controlled flight, including take-off and landing. It was flown by Henry Farman on January 13, 1908 near Paris, France...
who used his invention to develop their own seaplanes.
As late as 1971 the aged Fabre could still be seen sailing his own boat single handedly in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
harbor.
He died at the age of 101, as one of the last living pioneers of human flight.