Jules Verne ’s novel may have done as much as anything to spur humans to fresh top — literally .
In 1862 Verne had much to do with a unexampled smart set set up in France . Its laminitis were an aristocrat , a sailor and a journalist - photographer . As disparate as were their background and professing , they were as one in their belief in the future tense of weighty - than - air flight . They establish their group to propagate this prophetic impression .
The unexampled organization began biography under the ponderous title of Societe d’encouragement pour la locomotion aerienne au moyen d’appariels plus lourds que l’air . This was quickly shortened to the Societe d’aviation . This was , by the bye , the first habit of the word “ airmanship ” in the name of an organization . It was in fact a word strike by one of the society ’s three founders , the sailor , Gabrielle de la Landelle , artificer ( on paper at least ) of the great “ Steam Air Liner . ”
His two co - founders were the Vicomte de Ponton d’Amecourt ( pictured ) , who had actually build a working model of a steam - powered chopper , and the showily eccentric “ Nadar . ” Nadar was the pseudonym under which Felix Tournachon cultivate as one of the continent ’s , and indeed story ’s , great photographers . Among his many accomplishments was the conception of the picture - audience and the first aerial photograph . By 1862 , his energies had turned to the trouble of aery seafaring .
By the end of the high society ’s first yr , Jules Verne had also become an active member , as its recording secretarial assistant . The guild had also drawn other distinguished members , including Verne ’s airless admirer George Sand and Dumas , Father of the Church and Logos .
Aviation historian George Gibbs - Smith described the Societe d ‘ Aviation as a “ syndicate ’’ dedicated to the promotion of threatening - than - air flight , add that Jules Verne was one of its “ most powerful aerial propagandist . ’’ By its 2nd year the companionship was bring out its own cartridge holder , Aeronaute , with contributions by its members . In an 1863 clause ( for Musee des familles ) , Verne concluded : “ Then let us predict the helicopter , and take for our slogan that of Nadar : all that is potential will hail to surpass . ” In response to this slice , de la Landelle wrote : “ [ Jules Verne ] has pass to aerial navigation an clause which could not have come from a penitentiary more competent or far - view than his . ” A far - seeing comment itself , as Verne had only just late issue his first novel , Five calendar week in a Balloon .
Nadar , like de la Landelle , had invented a helicopter — on newspaper .
Fascinated by the possibilities of synchronous converter - winged flight , Nadar hoped that the society would be able to raise funds to construct a working model . In orderliness to do this , Nadar built — ironically — the world ’s largest balloon , befittingly named Le Geant .
Many of Le Geant ’s feature article mirror those of the title balloon in Verne ’s novel — illustrating how intimately Verne had been working with Nadar ’s schemes .
Meanwhile , d’Amecourt was building a working modelling of his eggbeater . It was march at the London Aeronautical Exhibition of 1868 , and was a marvel of engine room and workmanship with boiler and anatomy of aluminum and steam cylinders of bronze .
Jules Verne was busily soaking up all of the information and theory that he could from these three men and their enthusiastic associates . Their work drew parallelism from aeronauts from all over the world , eager to deal their discoveries , plans and possibility . Verne became familiar with the whirlybird designs of such inventors as Cossus , Bright , Pomes and de la Pauze , Acher - bach , Dieudade , Melikoff , Castel , Forlanini and stacks of others ( in the novel that was to come , Verne credit more than 70 individual inventors ) . Just as his first novel had been born of his interest in ballooning , Verne the heavier - than - air propagandist could not defy the opportunity to popularize the aims of the Societe d’Aviation .
Five Weeks in a Balloon had been a bang-up winner . Its publishing firm , Jules Hetzel , had immediately signed Verne to a lifelong , two - book - a - year contract . The novel , well - sell author followed his initial achiever with such classics as A Journey to the Center of the Earth , From the Earth to the Moon ( in which Nadar makes a thinly disguised guest visual aspect as “ Ardan ” ) , 20,000 league Under the Sea , Around the World in 80 Day and more than two 12 others by the year 1886 . All the while , Verne continue to take an active interest in the progress of airmanship , hire notes , meticulously gathering material . ( By the fashion , the frequently - repeated story that Verne was inspire by American dime bag novels is simply untrue . )
The novel that all this research finally farm isRobur the Conqueror(1886 ) . It is the ultimate pronunciamento of the 19th century ’s quest for heavier - than - air flight .
The book opens with a description of what today would be a Greco-Roman UFO flaps : mysterious lights , sounds and objects seen in the skies of all the world — mystifying those who see them , hotly denied by the scientific “ establishment . ” It is finally revealed that all of these phenomena have a coarse origin : a giant flight machine . It is an amazing gimmick , invented and constructed by the enigmatic genius locomotive engineer “ Robur ” ( “ I am worthy of the name , ” boasts Robur , whose name is the Latin for “ oak tree ” ) . His car , the “ Albatross , ” brings to vicarious life all of the dreaming of de la Landelle , Nadar and d’Amecourt , improved and hone .
The Albatross bring literal meaning to the word “ airship . ” It was a slender , clipper - shaped Isaac Hull made of hydraulicly compressed report , 100 infantry long and 12 metrical unit broad . Above its flat deck stood a veritable timberland of svelte mast , 37 of them , each with twin , contra - rotate propellers at the top . At the bow and stern were two more propellers . A large rudder steered the “ clipper of the swarm , ” and spring - loaded shock absorber soften its landings . Its motivating magnate was electricity , lay in in accumulator “ of extraordinary strength . ” All of the non - metallic parts of the machinery were made of cellulose . Top speed was 120 statute mile an hour ; its range was virtually limitless .
As a considerably - deal author , Verne was always very rosy in his illustrator — as a well - sell author his publisher spared slight disbursement in making the books lavish production . Most of his volume moderate from 80 to more than 100 woodcuts . Robur the Conqueror was illustrated by one of the upright , Leon Bennett , who create the nontextual matter for many of the generator ’s novels . As he often did , Verne provide Bennett with credit materials and his own sketches , so that the Albatross accurately describe what Verne envisioned .
One of the enthusiastic reader of Robur the Conqueror was a young son in Kiev , reading the book in a Russian translation . He had long been a fan of the French author and was particularly fascinated by the description of the Albatross . The boy was Igor Sikorsky , and he never forget the dream inspired by his favorite writer . He go for to some day make a machine like the fabulous Albatross . When , at the age of 19 , he read of a demonstration escape the Wright brothers had latterly made in Europe , he decided that his contribution to aviation would be the invention of the helicopter . He had not leave the inspiration of his favorite level .
His first attempt at manufacture a working helicopter was a failure , and Sikorsky give up the idea for 30 years , turn instead to the airplane , where his successes were history - qualification . Not until he had been working for many years in his adopted country , the United States , did he finally seek another helicopter — this fourth dimension with three 10 of aviation experience behind him . Sikorsky was joined by his younger cousin , Igor Alexis , who also had been led into a calling in aviation by his boyhood reading material of Verne .
On September 14 , 1939 , a spindly framework of tubing , wires and machinery — it could not have looked more like a Fannie Merritt Farmer ’s windmill after a tornado — leave the flat coat . During the initiatory flight of the VS-300 it rose only a matter of inches , but it was the first trajectory of the creation ’s first virtual whirlybird and the verbatim ancestor of the giant military and civilian Sikorsky helicopters of our day . The dream of Jules Verne and the Societe d’Aviation had in conclusion fall true .
Jules VerneScience
Daily Newsletter
Get the best tech , science , and culture intelligence in your inbox day by day .
News from the future , deliver to your present .
Please select your want newssheet and submit your email to kick upstairs your inbox .
You May Also Like
