René Grandjean
Encyclopedia
René Grandjean was a Swiss
aviation
pioneer. He designed and built the aircraft that was flown by Ernest Failloubaz
for the first flight in Switzerland of an aircraft built and flown by Swiss citizen, was probably the first glacier pilot and was pioneering on seaplane
s.
, 17 years old, and thanks to his inventiveness and craftsman qualities, using only a picture of Blériot’s aircraft, he completed this first aircraft in October 1909. The ground tests started in February 1910 at l’Estivage field in Avenches
. What is recognized as of today as being the starting point of the Swiss aviation, happened on May 10, 1910: Failloubaz piloted the machine, resulting in the first flight in Switzerland of an aircraft built and flown by Swiss citizen. René Grandjean succeeded five days after his friend’s first flight but crashed the plane. Immediately repaired, his aircraft was in August 1919 damaged again by Georges Cailler during a flight meeting in Viry, Haute-Savoie
.
On October 2, Failloubaz and Grandjean participated at the first Swiss flight meeting in Avenches, from October 8 to 10 in Bern. On October 12, 1910, Grandjean was prohibited from using l’Estivage airfield; the end of the collaboration between Failloubaz and Grandjean who moved to Dübendorf
. In November he made major transformations on his aircraft and during that winter he learned to fly, by himself. In early 1911, Grandjean was hired by Oerlikon Contraves
to promote their new engine by the manufacturer Farman, Blériot and Voisin.
On June 18, 1911, René Grandjean succeeded in crossing the Lake Neuchâtel
, on September 18 he obtained the Swiss pilot's licence number 21 and won the Prix d'aviation de l'Automobile-Club de Suisse on December 4, 1911.
In December 1911 Grandjean was invited at Davos to fly above the resort; he pioneered in building ski to skid on the snow without sinking into it. On February 2, 1912, he carried out the first take off and landing on ski in Switzerland, followed by more than hundred flights within few days without any incident. He was probably the first glacier
pilot in the world.
In summer 1912, Grandjean replaced the skis by floats designed and engineered by himself, resulting in the first takeoff of a Swiss hydroplane (seaplane
) on August 4, 1912.
At the controls of this seaplane he won several prizes, including the Eynard prize for the invention of a magneto allowing to start the engine from the pilot's seat. Grandjean was one of 12 Swiss pilots called up with their aircraft in late summer 1914 to form the latter Swiss Air Force
. Nevertheless, he presented further inventions that did not find support in Switzerland. Grandjean decided to leave for Paris in 1915 where he rapidely became a very demanded technical counsellor, got patents for more than two hundred of his own inventions and returned definitely to Switzerland in 1956.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
pioneer. He designed and built the aircraft that was flown by Ernest Failloubaz
Ernest Failloubaz
Ernest Failloubaz was a Swiss aviation pioneer. He received the pilot's brevet number 1 issued in Switzerland on October 11, 1910, and did the first flight in Switzerland of an aircraft built and flown by Swiss citizen.- Life :Ernest Failloubaz' father Jules, a rich wine merchant, died when Ernest...
for the first flight in Switzerland of an aircraft built and flown by Swiss citizen, was probably the first glacier pilot and was pioneering on 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...
s.
Life
In 1890 Grandjean's family moved to Paris where René did his first studies before returning to Bellerive where his father built a mill and a big saw-mill supported by the young René who was fascinated by the technics. At the age of 18 he moved again to Paris to find a job as a mechanics. Two months later, he was the driver for the marquis de Montebello and later in Egypt for the sultan Omar Bey who became his friend.Beginning of the Swiss Aviation
In summer 1909, Grandjean started to realize his long time dream to build a flying machine; the news of Blériot’s flight across the channel convinced him to leave Egypt and to return to Switzerland. There he met Ernest FailloubazErnest Failloubaz
Ernest Failloubaz was a Swiss aviation pioneer. He received the pilot's brevet number 1 issued in Switzerland on October 11, 1910, and did the first flight in Switzerland of an aircraft built and flown by Swiss citizen.- Life :Ernest Failloubaz' father Jules, a rich wine merchant, died when Ernest...
, 17 years old, and thanks to his inventiveness and craftsman qualities, using only a picture of Blériot’s aircraft, he completed this first aircraft in October 1909. The ground tests started in February 1910 at l’Estivage field in Avenches
Avenches
Avenches is a Swiss municipality in the canton of Vaud, located in the district of Broye-Vully.-History:The roots of Avenches go back to the Celts...
. What is recognized as of today as being the starting point of the Swiss aviation, happened on May 10, 1910: Failloubaz piloted the machine, resulting in the first flight in Switzerland of an aircraft built and flown by Swiss citizen. René Grandjean succeeded five days after his friend’s first flight but crashed the plane. Immediately repaired, his aircraft was in August 1919 damaged again by Georges Cailler during a flight meeting in Viry, Haute-Savoie
Viry, Haute-Savoie
Viry, Haute-Savoie is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-References:*...
.
On October 2, Failloubaz and Grandjean participated at the first Swiss flight meeting in Avenches, from October 8 to 10 in Bern. On October 12, 1910, Grandjean was prohibited from using l’Estivage airfield; the end of the collaboration between Failloubaz and Grandjean who moved to Dübendorf
Dübendorf
Dübendorf is a municipality in the district of Uster in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.It is a suburb of Zürich in Switzerland with a population of about 23,000 . It is the fourth largest city in the canton, after Zürich, Winterthur, and Uster.-History:Dübendorf is first mentioned in 946 as...
. In November he made major transformations on his aircraft and during that winter he learned to fly, by himself. In early 1911, Grandjean was hired by Oerlikon Contraves
Oerlikon Contraves
Rheinmetall Air Defence AG is a division of German armament manufacturer Rheinmetall, created when the company's Oerlikon Contraves unit was renamed on 1 January 2009 and integrated with Rheinmetall's other air-defence products...
to promote their new engine by the manufacturer Farman, Blériot and Voisin.
On June 18, 1911, René Grandjean succeeded in crossing the Lake Neuchâtel
Lake Neuchâtel
Lake Neuchâtel is a lake in Romandy, Switzerland . The lake lies mainly in the canton of Neuchâtel, but is also shared by the cantons of Vaud, of Fribourg, and of Bern....
, on September 18 he obtained the Swiss pilot's licence number 21 and won the Prix d'aviation de l'Automobile-Club de Suisse on December 4, 1911.
In December 1911 Grandjean was invited at Davos to fly above the resort; he pioneered in building ski to skid on the snow without sinking into it. On February 2, 1912, he carried out the first take off and landing on ski in Switzerland, followed by more than hundred flights within few days without any incident. He was probably the first glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
pilot in the world.
In summer 1912, Grandjean replaced the skis by floats designed and engineered by himself, resulting in the first takeoff of a Swiss hydroplane (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...
) on August 4, 1912.
At the controls of this seaplane he won several prizes, including the Eynard prize for the invention of a magneto allowing to start the engine from the pilot's seat. Grandjean was one of 12 Swiss pilots called up with their aircraft in late summer 1914 to form the latter Swiss Air Force
Swiss Air Force
The Swiss Air Force is the air component of the Swiss Armed Forces, established on July 31, 1914, as part of the Army and as of January 1966 an independent service.In peacetime, Dübendorf is the operational Air Force HQ...
. Nevertheless, he presented further inventions that did not find support in Switzerland. Grandjean decided to leave for Paris in 1915 where he rapidely became a very demanded technical counsellor, got patents for more than two hundred of his own inventions and returned definitely to Switzerland in 1956.