“An insightful look at aviation in France between 1902 and 1909, interweaving technology, events, developments and personalities. Superbly illustrated and wonderfully detailed, it provides the reader with a ‘you are there’ sense of the unfolding story.”
Carl Bobrow, Smithsonian/NASM, Aeroforums
“A valuable addition to the historiography of early flying in Europe.”
Malcolm Hall MRAeS, Aerospace
“An important, detailed and objective review of the earliest history of powered flight. The wealth of contemporary photos is fantastic.”
E Dean Butler
“A must for anyone interested in the birth of powered flight and/or the sporting atmosphere of the Belle Époque. An excellent book.”
Sébastien Faurès Fustel de Coulanges
“Passionnant à lire, il constitue un apport intéressant à la littérature consacrée aux débuts de l’aviation.” Pierre-François Mary, L’Aérobibliothèque
“Every section is illustrated with amazing photographs which are well worth the purchase price alone. [..] A fascinating insight into the larger than life characters that helped shape the world we live in now.”
VSCC Bulletin
The cellular biplane that Gabriel Voisin built for Henry Farman is by any standards a major landmark in the history of powered flight - and arguably, the first practical aeroplane, in Europe at least. As the first full account of its genesis and two-year evolution, The Right Flyer is the untold story of its true role in the final lap of the race to fly, particularly in the context of the Wright brothers’ contemporary feats on both sides of the Atlantic. As well as exploring the social and cultural impact of these events, the story reveals how the zigzag of technological progress was driven by the personality of strong characters involved and unpicks the longstanding controversy between the very different approaches adopted by the Old World and the New. Drawing on contemporary sources, it separates the facts from the fiction in a way that invests these extraordinarily heroic achievements with some of the gripping immediacy they had at the time. The result is a compelling portrait of aeronautics in France from 1904 to 1908, complete with an analysis of the technologies concerned, lively accounts of the machine’s epoch-defining flights in France, Belgium and New York, and biographies of all the main protagonists. Hardback, 360 pages with 340 photographs Contents Wrights and kites The Archdeacon gliders The Blériot-Voisin partnership Les Frères Voisin Construction The motor Flights trials The Kilometre The first refit The Ghent adventure Farman flies in New York Wrightmania Châlons and the world's first aeroplane journey Visions of the future Biplane to triplane Retirement: Vienna Repercussions Biographical appendices The makers: Gabriel & Charles Voisin The flyer: Henry Farman The assistant: Maurice Herbster The loyal lieutenant: Maurice Colliex The catalyst: Ernest Archdeacon The proselytiser: Ferdinand Ferber The friend: Henry Kapférer The opposition: Orville & Wilbur Wright The conduit: Octave Chanute The dilettante: Alberto Santos-Dumont The brains: Robert Esnault-Pelterie The rival: Louis Blériot The motorist: Léon Levavasseur The precursor: Lawrence Hargrave The engineer: Frederick Lanchester The scientist: Paul Painlevé The pilot: John Moore-Brabazon