Wright Flyer III (1908)

Few men could have imagined the importance of the Wright brothers' first powered flight on December 17, 1903. Five years later, in 1908, they showed their improved Flyer III in France. They proved that their design was superior to anything flying around at that time. Whereas most European machines could hardly make a few straightforward hops, they made long flights including turns. Europe was impressed to say the least !

Curtiss pusher (1906)

Whereas the Wright brothers approached aircraft development from a scientific point of view, Glenn Curtiss saw good business opportunities in aircraft production. His early pusher designs were built to order and several flew (or hopped ?) around in Europe.

Ferber (1908)

Captain Ferber, one of the early French pioneers, was also one of the first victims in an aerial crash. He died when his plane crashed and he got smashed by the engine. Early aviation could be dangerous too !

Voisin (1909)

One of the pioneers of French powered flight, Gabriel Voisin's biplanes became reknown for their stability. Several aircraft, including the racer illustrated, were built to order.

Witzig, Liore et Dutilleul biplane

Sometimes described as a triplane, this machine had an auxiliary wing mounted between the main wing cellule and the tail. During its test flight period, it saw several modifications, sometimes even rather drastic, without much improvement to its 'flight' characteristics.

Avro Triplane

Owned by the Shuttleworth Thrust, this aircraft still is airworthy, nearly 100 years after its first flight !

Gastambide-Mangin monoplane (1908)

Precursor to the Antoinette series of monoplanes, this modern-looking aircraft made some succesful flights.

Antoinette VII monoplane (1909)

One of the first modern-looking monoplanes, the Antoinette was the type of aircraft in which Hubert Latham tried to cross the Channel, the 30 km stretch of sea separating France and England. He failed twice, its V-8 engine cutting out above the water on both occasions.

Bleriot XI (1909)

Most important competitor to Hubert Latham for the cross-channel flight, Louis Bleriot made it on his first attempt on July 25, 1909. The very simple 3-cylinder 25hp Anzani engine allegedly received some much needed additional cooling from a bit of drizzle when nearing the English coast. Louis Bleriot instantly turned into a national hero, England was no island anymore.

Tellier monoplane

The best compliment to a good design is a better copy. Whether the Tellier was better than the Bleriot XI it tried to imitate is doubtful, but it sure was a flyable aircraft, as evidenced by this picture.

Deperdussin monoplane (1909)

The cross-channel flight of Louis Bleriot proved the soundness of monoplane aircraft, and several builders followed Bleriot's example. One such aircraft was the Deperdussin monoplane, which looked extremely modern by the standards of the day. The Deperdussin company later became known as SPAD, famous for its S.VII and S.XIII fighters during the First World War.

R.E.P. II

Robert Esnault-Pelterie may not have designed the most gorgeous aircraft, but his aircraft contained some important innovations. The method of controlling an aircraft in the air differed wildly between different designs, but Esnault-Pelterie's system was the first standardised system (stick and rudder pedals) which is still in use to this day.

Farman Type III (1910)

The Farman brothers Henry and Maurice wanted to become part of the ever-increasing number of aviatiors and ordered a Voisin biplane. Gabriel Voisin, however, decided to sell the aircraft built for the Farmans to someone else. The brothers were very disappointed and decided then to construct their own aircraft based on the Voisin design. Their Type III can easily be termed one of the most successful prewar aircraft, being licence-produced by several companies and illegally copied by others. Gabriel Voisin probably did not intend it this way !

Breguet

One of the other well-known French aircraft pioneers was Louis Breguet, who was able to commercialize this strange flying machine.

Sommer biplane

Loosely based on the Voisin and Farman designs, the Sommer was another successful aircraft. It was used in many prewar races and meetings and set some records.

Goupy II (1910)

Although not well-known, the Goupy is said to be the father of the modern biplane. Its construction techniques are still in use today, the tractor propellor and ailerons being seen on most aircraft.