Henri Fabre 100th anniversary flight

[Varese2002]

On March 28, 2010 it is 100 years ago that Henri Fabre lifted his 'water plane' from the water. Festivities are in order, even a repica of the machine is made. Look on the special commemorative site (French, English, Spanish, Italian language !) to follow to news of the construction and the festivities.

Bienvenue sur FABRE 2010



Cheers

Kees

[crankcase]

BEWARE FOREIGN PARTICIPANTS!

A bloody-minded organiser may be planning to frustrate your attempt to participate in the ceremonies!!! Go at your own (financial) peril!
marc

[Varese2002]

I am breaking my brains on your reaction, but really I could not find any connection with the Fabre festivities

Cheers

Kees

[Rod_Filan]

Kees,
See the Louis Blériot crossing of the Channel anniversary thread.
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Cheers
Rod

[Varese2002]

Thanks Rod for the hint. I read most of the thread Chauvenism at 100th anniversary of Channel flight. I was surprised what came all along in the wake of the commemoration of the flight of Blériot in 1909 (D-day, Charles de Gaulle). Sure a vehement discussion. I do find it a great pity that the other pilots with Blériot replica's were not allowed to fly over the Channel.

Not knowing about this emotion, I only brought to the attention of the esteemed forum members the commemoration of the first flight of Henri Fabre and what was organized by the small French committee. This is all about te achievements of Henri Fabre (sure a Frenchman) and has nothing to do with Charles de Gaulle and / or D-day .

Cheers

Kees

[Rod_Filan]

Originally Posted by Kees

... I was surprised what came all along in the wake of the commemoration of the flight of Blériot in 1909 (D-day, Charles de Gaulle).

I was surprised too. But if nothing else, it reinforces to me what the man on our $50 bill, William Lyon Mackenzie King, once said:

“If some countries have too much history, we have too much geography.”

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Cheers

[aerohydro]

I have always had a special regard for Henri Fabre and the Hydravion. That's one of the reasons why I have a thumbnail image of M. Fabre as my avatar.

The Hydravion was such an unusual craft. Not only did it embody a new concept of flying machine (ie, it was a seaplane), it had a new and unproven configuration (ie, a monoplane canard), it made use of wholly new type of construction, but yet it was successful! And all this from a young engineer who had yet to make a successful flying machine: indeed his only previous aeroengineering experience was with the predecessor to the Hydravion, which failed to fly at all.

For someone to have made such an unusual craft, and to risk a lot of time and money because it combined so many unproven aspects, is indicative of the time in which it was built and the sheer desire that people of that era must have had to make something - anything - that could fly. It must've been amazing to be part of the aviation scene in those early years of the 20th Century, in that time between the Wrights and the War, when a flying machine not only could be made real, it could be made to fly.

[Varese2002]

Exactly, the Fabre machine was extraordinary. I always admired the courage of the pilot in the chair.

The French are deservingly proud of the Henri Fabre and his machine. So even documentaries are shown on TV, look here. There is very, very short footage shown of the Fabre machine taxing away to the sea. I selected one still from it



Paul, have you ever seen a copy of the autobiography of Henri Fabre (or even own it), les trois Hydravions d' Henry Fabre (1979) ?

Cheers

Kees

[aerohydro]

Originally Posted by Varese2002

Paul, have you ever seen a copy of the autobiography of Henri Fabre (or even own it), les trois Hydravions d' Henry Fabre (1979) ?

No, I don't own a copy, but it's not for the want of trying! It seems to be a scarce item!

Thanks for the posting of the video clip. This is the first time I've ever seen the Hydravion in action, even if it was only for a couple of seconds!

Paul

[Varese2002]

The 1979 autobiography of Henri Fabre is only 35 pages (!). Thanks for the frontispiece Paul.

Fabre, Henri. 1979. Les 3 hydravions d'Henri Fabre. Grenoble, France: Guirimand. 35 p.

Also contains reprint of article which appeared in L'Aéronautique, no 55, Dec. 1923

There is another (much thicker) book written by Henri Fabre in 1980

Fabre, Henri. 1980. J'ai vu naître l'aviation. Grenoble: Imprimerie Guirimand. 267 p.

The archival pieces of Henri Fabre has been catalogied by his daughter Geneviève in

[quote] Geneviève Henri Fabre - Catalogue des archives aéronautiques d'Henri Fabre, inventeur de l'hydravion, 1882-1984 / [Geneviève Henri Fabre], [1989]



All these works cannot be found at the moment at the second hand book market AFAIK

Cheers

Kees