Vecihi Hürkus
Encyclopedia
Vecihi Hürkuş was the first civil aviator
in Turkey
. He also built the first airplane in Turkey.
During his flying career, which spanned a period of 52 years (1916-1967), Vecihi Hürkuş flew a total of 102 different models of aircraft and spent 30,000 hours, that is, 3.4 years of his life in the cockpit of aircraft.
In 1994, he was honored posthumously with the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO)
50th Anniversary Award (1944-1994) for the considerable contributions he made in the field of civil aviation in Turkey.
. Two daughters, Gönül (Hürkuş Şarman) and Sevim (Hürkus Maxson), were born from this marriage. In 1925, he divorced Hadiye and married his early time sweetheart İhsan. Another daughter, Perran (Ülgen-Hürkuş), was born in 1927.
turboprop trainer to be built by Turkish Aerospace Industries
is named after Vecihi Hürkuş.
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...
in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. He also built the first airplane in Turkey.
Firsts
Without a doubt, Vecihi Hürkuş was Turkey's most celebrated aviator. He was the first Turk to:- shoot down an enemy aircraft on the Caucasus frontCaucasus CampaignThe Caucasus Campaign comprised armed conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire, later including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Central Caspian Dictatorship and the UK as part of the Middle Eastern theatre or alternatively named as part of the Caucasus Campaign during World War I...
during World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, - fly a twin-engine aircraft (1917 - Caucasian Front - captured Russian Caudron G.4Caudron G.4|-References:*Donald, David . The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Leicester, UK: Blitz Editions, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.* Kalevi Keskinen, Kyösti Partonen, Kari Stenman: Suomen Ilmavoimat I 1918-27, 2005. ISBN 952-99432-2-9....
), - manufacture a propeller from scratch (1918 - Istanbul - Nieuport 17Nieuport 17|-Specifications :-See also:-Bibliography:* Bruce, Jack. "Those Classic Nieuports". Air Enthusiast Quarterly. Number Two, 1976. Bromley, UK:Pilot Press. pp. 137–153....
captured from the Russians), - produce adhesive from gelatinGelatinGelatin is a translucent, colorless, brittle , flavorless solid substance, derived from the collagen inside animals' skin and bones. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, pharmaceuticals, photography, and cosmetic manufacturing. Substances containing gelatin or functioning in a similar...
to glue fabric to aircraft wings (Turkish War of IndependenceTurkish War of IndependenceThe Turkish War of Independence was a war of independence waged by Turkish nationalists against the Allies, after the country was partitioned by the Allies following the Ottoman Empire's defeat in World War I...
), - first to land at İzmir SeydiköyGaziemirGaziemir is a district of İzmir Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. It is one of the metropolitan districts of Greater İzmir and is situated to the south of central İzmir on the road to İzmir...
Airfield during the Turkish War of Independence, occupying it single-handedly. This was considered to be the final flight of the war, - fly a passenger aircraft (1923 - EdirneEdirneEdirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
- 9 passengers with an abandoned Italian Caproni Ca.5 aka Ca.57 or Breda M-1), - construct a military aircraft from scratch (1924 - Izmir - Vecihi K-VI, first flight - January 28, 1925),
- build a speedboat (1930 - KadıköyKadiköyKadıköy is a large, populous, and cosmopolitan district of İstanbul, Turkey on the Asian side of the Sea of Marmara, facing the historic city centre on the European side of the Bosporus...
, Istanbul - Vecihi-SK-X), - build a civilian aircraft (1930 - Kadıköy - Vecihi K-XIV)
- establish a civilian flying school (April 21, 1932 - V.S.T.M. Vecihi Sivil Tayyare Mektebi - Kadıköy),
- construct a seaplane (1933 - Kadıköy, Vecihi S-XVI),
- train the first Turkish aviatrix (1933 - Bedriye Bacı (Gökmen) Kadıköy, Istanbul)
- construct the country's first gliders (US–4 ve PS–2), while playing a pivotal role in the establishment of Turkish Bird (1935-1936 - EtimesgutEtimesgutEtimesgut or Etimesut, formerly Ahimesut, is a metropolitan district of Ankara Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey, mainly consisting of large public housing projects, from Ankara city centre. According to 2010 census, population of Etimesgut is 386,879...
- Ankara), - receive a diploma abroad in aircraft engineering (February 27, 1939 - Weimar Engineering School, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
), - establish a privately-funded aviation publication (1948 - Kanatlılar Dergisi)
- establish a private airline company in Turkey (November 29, 1954-1960 YeşilköyYesilköyYeşilköy is a neighborhood of the Bakırköy municipality of Istanbul, Turkey.It is located along the Marmara Sea about 11 kilometers west of Istanbul's historic city center...
- Hürkuş Havayolları transported passengers and cargo), - conduct aerial surveys for the Mining Research Institute (1961-1966).
During his flying career, which spanned a period of 52 years (1916-1967), Vecihi Hürkuş flew a total of 102 different models of aircraft and spent 30,000 hours, that is, 3.4 years of his life in the cockpit of aircraft.
In 1994, he was honored posthumously with the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO)
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
50th Anniversary Award (1944-1994) for the considerable contributions he made in the field of civil aviation in Turkey.
Family
During the War of Independence, Vecihi married to Hadiye, the daughter of the chief of police in AkşehirAksehir
Akşehir is a town and district of Konya Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. According to 2000 census, population of the district is 114,918 of which 63,000 live in the town of Akşehir...
. Two daughters, Gönül (Hürkuş Şarman) and Sevim (Hürkus Maxson), were born from this marriage. In 1925, he divorced Hadiye and married his early time sweetheart İhsan. Another daughter, Perran (Ülgen-Hürkuş), was born in 1927.
Legacy
The TAI HürkuşTAI Hürkuş
-External links:*...
turboprop trainer to be built by Turkish Aerospace Industries
Turkish Aerospace Industries
Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. is the center of technology in design, development, manufacturing, integration of aerospace systems, modernization and after sales support in Turkey....
is named after Vecihi Hürkuş.
Sources
- Vecihi Hürkuş, Havalarda, 1915-1925, İstanbul, Kanaat Kitabevi, 1942.
- Vecihi Hürkuş, Bir Tayyarecinin Anıları: Yaşantı, İstanbul, YKY, 2000 ISBN 978 9 75 080219 5
- Mehmet Gürbüz Gürer, Vecihi Hürkuş "Göklerin Korkusuz Adamı", İstanbul, 2001.
- M. Bahattin Adigüzel, Türk Havaciliğinda İz Birakanlar, Ankara, 2001.
External links
- Biography
- War of Independence-Military Action in 1920
- Hürkuş
- Turkish Aerospace Industries-TAI
- Photos about Vecihi Hürkuş