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| Alberto Santos-Dumont: Pioneer of Aviation |
| "Santos made his first flight in Paris in a dirigible of his own design in 1898, and though he crashed Parisians learned something about Santos that would be true of him his entire life: crashing never deterred Alberto Santos-Dumont." |
| Santos-Dumont developed a monoplane that was successful. Europeans, mostly unaware of the Wright Brothers' flights, dubbed Santos-Dumont "the conqueror of the air." |
A brief biography of
Alberto Santos-Dumont
Alberto Santos-Dumont
In late November, 1903, the Wright Brothers were
holed up in a shack on the Outer Banks of North
Carolina, working out the kinks on what would soon
become the world's first powered flyer. But across the
Atlantic, a 30-year-old Brazilian was sitting in his
impeccably appointed apartment in Paris, writing an
autobiography titled My Air-Ships.
Although little known in the United States, Alberto
Santos-Dumont (1873-1932) was the toast of Europe
at the time, called by some "The Napoleon of the Air."
When the Wright Brothers were just getting ready to
make their first flight, Santos-Dumont had already built
a personal flying machine. Beginning in 1898, he
regularly flew above the rooftops of Paris in his
dirigibles.
But in the early winter of 1903, the Brazilian
aeronautical pioneer had yet to experiment with
winged flyers like the Wrights. His first experience with
flight was on a balloon in 1897. He immediately
became obsessed with the possibility of controlling a
balloon with a motorized engine and set to work on his
"air-ships" -- a numbered series of motor-driven
dirigibles. His first successful flight -- albeit brief -- was
in 1898.
Over the next few years, Santos-Dumont developed a
monoplane that was successful. Europeans, mostly
unaware of the Wright Brothers' flights, dubbed Santos-
Dumont "the conqueror of the air." For a time, he
refused to believe the Wrights had beaten him.
A romantic and idealist at heart, Santos-Dumont
wasn't looking to make money and wanted everyone
on earth to have their own personal flying machine….
Santos-Dumont was also distressed by the use of
aircraft for military purposes in World War I. These
feelings contributed to his increasing difficulties with
mental illness.
Throughout the 1920s, the inventor battled mental
illness, voluntarily checking into several sanitoriums.
He committed suicide in 1932. There was a huge
outpouring of emotion, and at the moment he was
interred, thousands of pilots around the world tipped
the wings of their planes in a final gesture of respect.
holed up in a shack on the Outer Banks of North
Carolina, working out the kinks on what would soon
become the world's first powered flyer. But across the
Atlantic, a 30-year-old Brazilian was sitting in his
impeccably appointed apartment in Paris, writing an
autobiography titled My Air-Ships.
Although little known in the United States, Alberto
Santos-Dumont (1873-1932) was the toast of Europe
at the time, called by some "The Napoleon of the Air."
When the Wright Brothers were just getting ready to
make their first flight, Santos-Dumont had already built
a personal flying machine. Beginning in 1898, he
regularly flew above the rooftops of Paris in his
dirigibles.
But in the early winter of 1903, the Brazilian
aeronautical pioneer had yet to experiment with
winged flyers like the Wrights. His first experience with
flight was on a balloon in 1897. He immediately
became obsessed with the possibility of controlling a
balloon with a motorized engine and set to work on his
"air-ships" -- a numbered series of motor-driven
dirigibles. His first successful flight -- albeit brief -- was
in 1898.
Over the next few years, Santos-Dumont developed a
monoplane that was successful. Europeans, mostly
unaware of the Wright Brothers' flights, dubbed Santos-
Dumont "the conqueror of the air." For a time, he
refused to believe the Wrights had beaten him.
A romantic and idealist at heart, Santos-Dumont
wasn't looking to make money and wanted everyone
on earth to have their own personal flying machine….
Santos-Dumont was also distressed by the use of
aircraft for military purposes in World War I. These
feelings contributed to his increasing difficulties with
mental illness.
Throughout the 1920s, the inventor battled mental
illness, voluntarily checking into several sanitoriums.
He committed suicide in 1932. There was a huge
outpouring of emotion, and at the moment he was
interred, thousands of pilots around the world tipped
the wings of their planes in a final gesture of respect.
June 1903: Nineteen-year-old Aida de Acosta, the first
woman to pilot a flying machine, Santos Dumont's No. 9
woman to pilot a flying machine, Santos Dumont's No. 9
| Santos-Dumont was distressed by the use of aircraft for military purposes in World War I. |
“Nature made Santos-
Dumont a very small, slim,
slight man, weighing hardly
more than one hundred
pounds, but very active and
muscular. The first time I
ever saw him, in the Crystal
Palace, London, where he
was setting up one of his
airships in a huge gallery, I
thought him at first glance
to be some boy, a possible
spectator, who was
interested in flying
machines.”
Dumont a very small, slim,
slight man, weighing hardly
more than one hundred
pounds, but very active and
muscular. The first time I
ever saw him, in the Crystal
Palace, London, where he
was setting up one of his
airships in a huge gallery, I
thought him at first glance
to be some boy, a possible
spectator, who was
interested in flying
machines.”
"As a child Santos-Dumont had been inspired by
the stories of Jules Verne, and from his tenth
year he was driving railway engines on his
father's plantation [in Brazil]. During his
schooling in Paris he familiarized himself with all
aspects of ballooning and made his first ascent…."
the stories of Jules Verne, and from his tenth
year he was driving railway engines on his
father's plantation [in Brazil]. During his
schooling in Paris he familiarized himself with all
aspects of ballooning and made his first ascent…."
Source for content on this page:
www.fiddlersgreen.net/AC/aircraft/DuMont-Santos/santos.php
www.fiddlersgreen.net/AC/aircraft/DuMont-Santos/santos.php
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