Robert Morane, (10 March 1886, Paris – 28 August 1968, Paris)[1] and his brother Léon Morane (11 April 1885, Paris – 19 October 1918, Paris)[2] were French aviation pioneers.
Career
editLéon obtained his brevet (flying licence) on 19 April 1910 in a Blériot,[3] and that June, he took part in la Grande Semaine d'aviation de Rouen.
On 5 October 1910, Léon and Robert Morane made a trial flight, aiming to win le prix Michelin d'aviation, which required a journey between Paris and sommet du Puy de Dôme in less than 6 hours. Their attempt failed when, having set off from Issy in a Gnôme 100 hp- powered Blériot, they crashed near Boissy-Saint-Léger, both being seriously injured.[4][5] After this accident, Leon received a visit from his childhood friend Raymond Saulnier, and a year later, on 10 October 1911, they created the Société Anonyme des Aéroplanes Morane – Saulnier, with Robert Morane as test pilot.[6][4] Its registered office was at Paris[citation needed] and the factories were at Puteaux.[7]
In 1910, Léon was the first person to fly at 100 km/h (62 mph);[8] he also set the altitude record, at 2,500 m (8,200 ft).[citation needed]
Léon died during the epidemic of 'Spanish' flu in October 1918.[4]
After the First World War the factory was dedicated primarily to production of trainers and fighter aircraft, including, notably: a single seater with canopy (1924), the MS 230 trainer which sold 1100 examples (1930), and the M.S.405/MS 406, a single seat fighter of all-metal construction, powered by a Hispano-Suiza 860 hp engine (1936–1937).
Robert founded the Morane-Saulnier flight school,[1] where the pilots Maurice Tabuteau and Marcel Brindejonc des Moulinais trained.[9]
The brothers are buried at the Père Lachaise Cemetery.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b "Cimetière du Père Lachaise - APPL - MORANE Robert Charles (1886-1968)". Cimetière du Père Lachaise - APPL. 30 December 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Cimetière du Père Lachaise - APPL - MORANE Léon (1885-1918)". Cimetière du Père Lachaise - APPL. 30 December 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ "Les cent premiers brevets". aviatechno.net. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- ^ a b c "morane-saulnier". ctie.monash.edu. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- ^ "Collection Jules Beau, Figs 16 & 17". Gallica.bnf.fr. Retrieved 15 October 2014. (Accessed 13 June 2017)
- ^ "MORANE Léon (1885–1918) et Robert (1886–1968) aviateurs". Amis et Passionnés du Père-Lachaise. 15 February 2007. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2014. (Accessed 13 June 2017)
- ^ "L'entreprise Morane-Saulnier – Archives de la ville de Puteaux". www.archives.puteaux.fr (in French). 8 July 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ "Chronology: 1910-1919". Air & Space Forces Magazine. 24 November 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ "Ecole militaire de Pau". albindenis.free.fr. Retrieved 17 November 2024.