Traian Vuia
Encyclopedia
Traian Vuia was a Romania
n inventor and aviation pioneer who designed, built
and flew an early aircraft. His first flight traveled about 12 m (40 feet) at Montesson, France on March 18, 1906. This was the first well-documented unassisted takeoff and landing on a level surface by an engine-driven monoplane with a completely wheeled undercarriage.
A French citizen since 1918, Vuia was associated with the French Resistance
during World War II. He returned to Romania in 1950.
in 1892, at that time part of Hungary within Austro-Hungarian empire, today in Romania, he enrolled in the School of Mechanics at the Polytechnic University of Budapest
where he received his engineering diploma. He then joined the Faculty of Law in Budapest - Hungary, where he earned a Ph.D. in law in May 1901 with the thesis "Military and Industry, State and Contract regime".
He returned to Lugoj, where he studied the problem of human flight and designed his first flying machine, which he called the "airplane-car". He attempted to build the machine, but due to financial constraints decided to go to Paris
in July 1902, hoping to find someone interested in financing his project, possibly balloon enthusiasts. He met with considerable skepticism from people who believed that a heavier-than-air machine could not fly. He then visited Victor Tatin
, a well-known theoretician and experimenter who had built an aircraft model which flew in 1879.
Tatin was interested in the project, but doubted that Vuia had a suitable engine or that his aircraft would be stable. Vuia then presented his plan to the Académie des Sciences
in Paris on February 16, 1903, but was rejected with the comment:
Undeterred, Vuia applied for a patent which was granted on August 17, 1903 and published on October 16, 1903. He began to build his first flying machine in the winter of 1902–1903. Overcoming more financial difficulties, he also started construction of an engine of his own design in autumn 1904 and received a patent for it that year in the United Kingdom
.
gas engine. The liquid carbon dioxide was vaporized in a serpollet boiler, this added heating of the working fluid gave the engine a duration of about three minutes. He chose a site in Montesson
, near Paris
for testing. At first he used the machine only as a car, without the wings mounted, so he could gather experience driving it. On March 18, 1906 he made his first flight attempt. After accelerating about 50 meters, the plane left the soil and flew about one meter high for about 12 meters distance, then landed. The British aviation historian Charles Harvard Gibbs-Smith
described it as "the first man-carrying monoplane of basically modern configuration", and "unsuccessful"
Romanian enthusiasts emphasize that Vuia's machine was able to take off from a flat surface by on-board means without outside assistance, such as an incline, rails, or catapult. Debate continues over the precise definition of "first" airplane..
After his March 18 takeoff, Vuia made several more short flights in 1906 and 1907. In August 1906 he built a modified version of his flying machine, the "Vuia I bis."
In 1907, his "Vuia II" airplane, with an Antoinette 25 hp
(19 kW) internal combustion engine, was exhibited at the first Aeronautical Salon in Paris.
Aviation pioneer Alberto Santos Dumont, who made famous short flights in Paris in October and November 1906, recognized Vuia as a "forerunner" of his efforts, as described by Charles Dollfus, the curator of an aeronautical museum in Paris.
, credited him with a flight of five meters on October 8, 1906, as the earliest entry in a list of his flights shown in a table of "the performances which have been made" by a number of aviation pioneers.
aerodromes, contributing to the development of vertical take-off.
Another invention by Vuia was a steam generator with internal combustion that could generate very high pressure of more than 100 atm (10 MPa) that is still used today in thermal power stations.
On May 27, 1946 Vuia was named an Honorary Member of the Romanian Academy
.
He is buried at the Bellu
cemetery in Bucharest, Romania.
Timişoara International Airport Traian Vuia
(TSR), Romania
's second largest airport, carries his name.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n inventor and aviation pioneer who designed, built
and flew an early aircraft. His first flight traveled about 12 m (40 feet) at Montesson, France on March 18, 1906. This was the first well-documented unassisted takeoff and landing on a level surface by an engine-driven monoplane with a completely wheeled undercarriage.
A French citizen since 1918, Vuia was associated with the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
during World War II. He returned to Romania in 1950.
Education and early career
After graduating from high-school in Lugoj, BanatBanat
The Banat is a geographical and historical region in Central Europe currently divided between three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania , the western part in northeastern Serbia , and a small...
in 1892, at that time part of Hungary within Austro-Hungarian empire, today in Romania, he enrolled in the School of Mechanics at the Polytechnic University of Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
where he received his engineering diploma. He then joined the Faculty of Law in Budapest - Hungary, where he earned a Ph.D. in law in May 1901 with the thesis "Military and Industry, State and Contract regime".
He returned to Lugoj, where he studied the problem of human flight and designed his first flying machine, which he called the "airplane-car". He attempted to build the machine, but due to financial constraints decided to go to 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...
in July 1902, hoping to find someone interested in financing his project, possibly balloon enthusiasts. He met with considerable skepticism from people who believed that a heavier-than-air machine could not fly. He then visited Victor Tatin
Victor Tatin
Victor Tatin was a French inventor, who created an early airplane, the Aéroplane in 1879. The craft was the first model aeroplane to lift itself by its own power after a run on the ground....
, a well-known theoretician and experimenter who had built an aircraft model which flew in 1879.
Tatin was interested in the project, but doubted that Vuia had a suitable engine or that his aircraft would be stable. Vuia then presented his plan to the Académie des Sciences
French Academy of Sciences
The French Academy of Sciences is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research...
in Paris on February 16, 1903, but was rejected with the comment:
- The problem of flight with a machine which weighs more than air can not be solved and it is only a dream.
Undeterred, Vuia applied for a patent which was granted on August 17, 1903 and published on October 16, 1903. He began to build his first flying machine in the winter of 1902–1903. Overcoming more financial difficulties, he also started construction of an engine of his own design in autumn 1904 and received a patent for it that year in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Flying experiments
By December 1905 Vuia finished construction of his first aircraft, the "Traian Vuia, 1" a high-wing monoplane powered by a carbonic acidCarbonic acid
Carbonic acid is the inorganic compound with the formula H2CO3 . It is also a name sometimes given to solutions of carbon dioxide in water, because such solutions contain small amounts of H2CO3. Carbonic acid forms two kinds of salts, the carbonates and the bicarbonates...
gas engine. The liquid carbon dioxide was vaporized in a serpollet boiler, this added heating of the working fluid gave the engine a duration of about three minutes. He chose a site in Montesson
Montesson
Montesson is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris.-External links:* http://www.fotw.net/flags/fr-78-ms.html...
, 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...
for testing. At first he used the machine only as a car, without the wings mounted, so he could gather experience driving it. On March 18, 1906 he made his first flight attempt. After accelerating about 50 meters, the plane left the soil and flew about one meter high for about 12 meters distance, then landed. The British aviation historian Charles Harvard Gibbs-Smith
Charles Harvard Gibbs-Smith
Charles Harvard Gibbs-Smith was a British polymath historian of aeronautics and aviation. His obituary in the Times described him as "the recognised authority on the early development of flying in Europe and America" Richard P...
described it as "the first man-carrying monoplane of basically modern configuration", and "unsuccessful"
Romanian enthusiasts emphasize that Vuia's machine was able to take off from a flat surface by on-board means without outside assistance, such as an incline, rails, or catapult. Debate continues over the precise definition of "first" airplane..
After his March 18 takeoff, Vuia made several more short flights in 1906 and 1907. In August 1906 he built a modified version of his flying machine, the "Vuia I bis."
In 1907, his "Vuia II" airplane, with an Antoinette 25 hp
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
(19 kW) internal combustion engine, was exhibited at the first Aeronautical Salon in Paris.
Aviation pioneer Alberto Santos Dumont, who made famous short flights in Paris in October and November 1906, recognized Vuia as a "forerunner" of his efforts, as described by Charles Dollfus, the curator of an aeronautical museum in Paris.
Documentation
Vuia said he made his first flight on March 18, 1906 in the presence of his mechanic and two close personal friends. Accounts of this flight published at the time, and of his later flight of September 1906, are based on letters he personally wrote to L’Aérophile, the official journal of the Aéro Club of France. Another journal of the period, Flight magazineFlight International
Flight International is a global aerospace weekly publication produced in the UK. Founded in 1909, it is the world's oldest continuously published aviation news magazine...
, credited him with a flight of five meters on October 8, 1906, as the earliest entry in a list of his flights shown in a table of "the performances which have been made" by a number of aviation pioneers.
Later career
Between 1918 and 1921 Vuia built two experimental helicopters on the Juvissy and Issy-les-MoulineauxIssy-les-Moulineaux
Issy-les-Moulineaux is a commune in the southwestern suburban area of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. On 1 January 2003, Issy-les-Moulineaux became part of the Communauté d'agglomération Arc de Seine along with the other communes of Chaville, Meudon, Vanves and Ville-d'Avray...
aerodromes, contributing to the development of vertical take-off.
Another invention by Vuia was a steam generator with internal combustion that could generate very high pressure of more than 100 atm (10 MPa) that is still used today in thermal power stations.
On May 27, 1946 Vuia was named an Honorary Member of the Romanian Academy
Romanian Academy
The Romanian Academy is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 acting members who are elected for life....
.
He is buried at the Bellu
Bellu
Bellu is the most famous cemetery in Bucharest, Romania.It is located on a plot of land donated to the local administration by Baron Barbu Bellu...
cemetery in Bucharest, Romania.
Timişoara International Airport Traian Vuia
Traian Vuia International Airport
Timişoara "Traian Vuia" International is Romania's third largest airport in terms of air traffic, after Bucharest Henri Coandă and Bucharest Aurel Vlaicu Airport and the main air transportation hub for the western part of Romania. It is located in Timişoara, in the region of Banat, near the...
(TSR), Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
's second largest airport, carries his name.
See also
- First flying machineFirst flying machineThere are conflicting views as to what was the first flying machine.Much of the debate surrounding records of early flying machines depends on the exact definition of what constitutes a "flying machine", "flight", and even "first"....
- List of early flying machines
- Clement AderClément AderClément Ader was a French inventor and engineer born in Muret, Haute Garonne, and is remembered primarily for his pioneering work in aviation.- The inventor :...
- Richard PearseRichard PearseRichard William Pearse , son of Cornish immigrants from St Columb near Newquay, a New Zealand farmer and inventor who performed pioneering experiments in aviation....
External links
- The Pioneers : An Anthology : Trajan Vuia (1872-1950) at www.ctie.monash.edu.au
- Traian Vuia at www.earlyaviators.com
- Patents of Trajan Vuia
- Site Officiel de la ville de Montesson (in French)