Santos-Dumont No. 14-bis

Santos-Dumont and his No. 14-bis

Santos-Dumont No. 14-bis, airplane designed, built, and first flown by the Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont in 1906.

Inspired by rumours that the Wright brothers had made flights of over half an hour in the relative seclusion of a pasture near Dayton, Ohio, Santos-Dumont began work on his first airplane at Neuilly-Saint-James (near Paris) early in 1906. Originally intended to be tested dangling beneath the gas bag of his airship No. 14, the craft was named No. 14-bis. A pusher biplane featuring a canard, or forward elevator, the design of the machine was inspired by what Santos-Dumont knew of the Wright flyer of 1905. No. 14-bis made a total of nine takeoffs, and it remained in the air for just over 21 seconds on its longest flight. None of the other flights covered more than 220 metres (722 feet). Nevertheless, the airplane established a considerable record of achievement.

Santos-Dumont made his first free takeoff from Bagatelle on Sept. 13, 1906, but traveled only 7 metres (23 feet) before crashing. He completed the first public flight of a heavier-than-air machine in Europe on Oct. 23, 1906. The 60-metre (about 200-foot) hop won the trophy established by Ernest Archdeacon for the first flight of 25 metres (82 feet). Santos added octagonal ailerons to the outer bays of No. 14-bis before resuming flights in November. He covered 220 metres (722 feet) through the air on Nov. 12, capturing the 1,500-franc prize of the Aero Club de France for the first flight of 100 metres (328 feet). See also flight, history of.