Josef Christiaens
Encyclopedia
Josef Christiaens, sometimes spelt Joseph (1879 – 25 February 1919), was a Belgian engineer, racecar driver and aviator.
, Belgium. The race spanned 102,740 km, but Josef failed to complete the race. He also failed to qualify for the Il Coupe de Normandie with his Vivinus
6 racecar on 29 August 1909.
But that very same car helped change his luck and won him his first victory in the 2nd Coupe de Liedekerke et Williame in Ostend
,Belgium on 13 September 1909. Josef never looked back, and went on to win a string of victories in Europe and in the US.
In 9 September 1916 Josef and his 2300 lb (1,043.3 kg) English Sunbeam racecar, became the first foreigner to enter the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
"Harvest Classic", composing of three races held at 20, 50 and 100-100 miles (160.9 km) distances. Johnny Aitken
, in a Peugeot
, came in first in all 3 distances. Josef's Sunbeam failed to start the race due to a broken crankshaft.
When Henri Farman flew the Voisin
-designed biplane and took Ernest Archdeacon for a 1241-metre flight at Ghent
, Belgium on 30 May 1908, he was immediately captivated and inspired by the spirit of flying.
And thus on March 1910 Josef met Géo Chavez
at Camp de Châlons, France and learnt to fly on a Farman plane from him. By 12 April in the same year, he is registered with licence N°7, becoming one of the first 11 pilots registered at the Aéro-Club de Belgique (Aero Club of Belgium).
On 14 March 1911, Josef received much enthusiasm and assistance from the British Colonial Government in Singapore. a squad of Royal Engineers
soldiers were dispatched to assemble and test the Bristol Boxkite
. On 16 March 1911 Josef made history in Singapore
as the first man to fly an aeroplane on the island.
Josef died in the road accident while performing a test drive on a Sunbeam racecar near Moorfield Works on 25 February 1919 in Wolverhampton
, West Midlands
, England. Shortly after leaving the Works, his car crashed into a wall along Upper Villiers Street trying to avoid a horse-cart coming out of Fowler Street. His passenger, Sunbeam mechanic Frank Bills was handicapped from that accident.
Biography
He was born in 1879 to a prosperous Belgian family. On 13 August 1905 at age 26 he participated in the Coupe de Liedekerke et Williame race held near DinantDinant
Dinant is a Walloon city and municipality located on the River Meuse in the Belgian province of Namur, Belgium. The Dinant municipality includes the old communes of Anseremme, Bouvignes-sur-Meuse, Dréhance, Falmagne, Falmignoul, Foy-Notre-Dame, Furfooz, Lisogne, Sorinnes, and Thynes.-Origins to...
, Belgium. The race spanned 102,740 km, but Josef failed to complete the race. He also failed to qualify for the Il Coupe de Normandie with his Vivinus
Vivinus
Vivinus cars were made by Ateliers Vivinus S.A. of Schaerbeek, Brussels .The owner, Alexis Vivinus , had made bicycles in the 1890s and become an importer of Benz. From 1895 he started to make his own range of cars. These were belt-driven voiturette models with a 785 cc single-cylinder engine and...
6 racecar on 29 August 1909.
But that very same car helped change his luck and won him his first victory in the 2nd Coupe de Liedekerke et Williame in Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
,Belgium on 13 September 1909. Josef never looked back, and went on to win a string of victories in Europe and in the US.
In 9 September 1916 Josef and his 2300 lb (1,043.3 kg) English Sunbeam racecar, became the first foreigner to enter the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....
"Harvest Classic", composing of three races held at 20, 50 and 100-100 miles (160.9 km) distances. Johnny Aitken
Johnny Aitken
Johnny Aitken was a racecar driver from Indianapolis, who was active in the years prior to World War I.Aitken competed in the Indianapolis 500 three times. He started the race twice, in 1911 and 1916. He led the first lap of the first race . Aitken captured the pole position in 1916, but ended...
, in a Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
, came in first in all 3 distances. Josef's Sunbeam failed to start the race due to a broken crankshaft.
When Henri Farman flew the 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...
-designed biplane and took Ernest Archdeacon for a 1241-metre flight at Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, Belgium on 30 May 1908, he was immediately captivated and inspired by the spirit of flying.
And thus on March 1910 Josef met Géo Chavez
Jorge Chávez
Jorge Chávez Dartnell , also known as Géo Chávez, was a Franco – Peruvian aviator. At a young age, he achieved fame for his aeronautical feats...
at Camp de Châlons, France and learnt to fly on a Farman plane from him. By 12 April in the same year, he is registered with licence N°7, becoming one of the first 11 pilots registered at the Aéro-Club de Belgique (Aero Club of Belgium).
On 14 March 1911, Josef received much enthusiasm and assistance from the British Colonial Government in Singapore. a squad of Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
soldiers were dispatched to assemble and test the Bristol Boxkite
Bristol Boxkite
-Military operators:* Australian Flying Corps** Central Flying School AFC at Point Cook, Victoria.* Union Defence Forces - South African Air Force Kingdom of Spain* Royal Flying Corps* Royal Naval Air Service** No. 3 Squadron RFC-References:...
. On 16 March 1911 Josef made history in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
as the first man to fly an aeroplane on the island.
Josef died in the road accident while performing a test drive on a Sunbeam racecar near Moorfield Works on 25 February 1919 in Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, England. Shortly after leaving the Works, his car crashed into a wall along Upper Villiers Street trying to avoid a horse-cart coming out of Fowler Street. His passenger, Sunbeam mechanic Frank Bills was handicapped from that accident.
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