La bicyclette de vol
the flying bicycle
100 years on...
100 years on...
Most bike geeks know that Henry Ford built his first automobile, the Quadricycle, largely out of bike parts. Fewer, I think, realize that he wasn't alone in advancing transportation technology using bits & pieces of the humble bike. One hundred years ago this month; 13 November to be precise, a French bike builder and mechanic, Paul Cornu, launched the first ever flying bicycle.
Starting the engine on the strange twin-rotor machine, La bicyclette de vol, Cornu lifted off the ground, and fluttered above the grass in Lisieux, France for a few moments. The world's first helicopter was born.
Unfortunately, the 24-horsepower engine lacked the lift to get off ground for much longer. It also had no effective means of control and so was abandoned after a few flights. However, Cornu became the first, and perhaps only, bike-maker to achieve vertical flight with with his odd assortment of bike parts.
Labels: history, rolling abroad, traffic taming
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