Armand Zipfel aviateur

Varese2002 · 29 October 2009, 03:58 AM

The enthusiasm in France for early flying is enormous as I see it. In december 1908 made the first (heavier-than-air) flight in the Lyon region with a Voisin biplne.

To commemorate that occasion (100th anniversary) a 1/2 scale model was made and a fresco depicting that flight was made. Both are really amazing, especially the fresco, without belittling the 1/2 scale model which is very exactly made.

Pictures can be seen here and here.

Cheers

Kees

Faustroll · 29 October 2009, 07:52 AM

How interesting - thank you for the links.

Zipfel was of course a childhood friend of the Voisin brothers. As well as being the first to fly in Lyon, wasn't he the first to make exhibition flights at Tempelhof (in late January 1909)? The first in Portugal too, at Belém nine months later. By the end of the year, he had also flown in Istanbul with De Caters, and as an instructor, he later trained hundreds of pilots including

Dieudonné Costes...

The shot attached was taken soon after the machine was built.

PS: The handsome mural of course takes chronological liberties, in that Charles Voisin had been dead for 20 years by the time the car he is shown sitting in was built.

Varese2002 · 29 October 2009, 08:36 AM

Faustroll, sure you are right with the artistic liberty of the car

There is an extensive biography of Armand Zipfel here

Cheers

Kees