Leo Valentin
Encyclopedia
Leo Valentin was a French
adventurer, who attempted to achieve human flight
using bird-like wings. Léo Valentin is widely considered to be the most famous "birdman" of all time.
s. He read avidly about airplanes and gliders. His ultimate dream was to be able to fly like the birds. At the outbreak of the Second World War he planned to become a fighter pilot, but opted to train as a paratrooper
. He participated as a paratrooper during World War II
.
After the war he directed his attention toward his lifelong ambition. At Villacoublay airfield, near Paris
, Valentin attempted his first "wing jump" using wings made of canvas
, but he failed to achieve any forward speed. He then tried rigid wings to prevent the wings from collapsing. During May 1954, with the help of a set of rigid wooden wings, he finally managed some kind of stability with the initial spiral. Valentin later claimed that he managed to fly for 3 miles using his wooden wings.
, using wings similar to the wooden ones that had brought him success in the past. However, the stunt went wrong right away. When exiting the plane, one of his wings made contact and a piece broke away. He attempted to land safely using a parachute
, but that also failed.
Valentin died.
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...
adventurer, who attempted to achieve human flight
Flight
Flight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
using bird-like wings. Léo Valentin is widely considered to be the most famous "birdman" of all time.
Biography
Leo Valentin was born in France, and he always had keen interest in airplaneFixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
s. He read avidly about airplanes and gliders. His ultimate dream was to be able to fly like the birds. At the outbreak of the Second World War he planned to become a fighter pilot, but opted to train as a paratrooper
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
. He participated as a paratrooper during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
After the war he directed his attention toward his lifelong ambition. At Villacoublay airfield, near Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Valentin attempted his first "wing jump" using wings made of canvas
Canvas
Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required. It is also popularly used by artists as a painting surface, typically stretched across a wooden frame...
, but he failed to achieve any forward speed. He then tried rigid wings to prevent the wings from collapsing. During May 1954, with the help of a set of rigid wooden wings, he finally managed some kind of stability with the initial spiral. Valentin later claimed that he managed to fly for 3 miles using his wooden wings.
Death
In 1956 On May 21, 1956 Valentin was at an air show in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, using wings similar to the wooden ones that had brought him success in the past. However, the stunt went wrong right away. When exiting the plane, one of his wings made contact and a piece broke away. He attempted to land safely using a parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
, but that also failed.
Valentin died.