Alphonse Pénaud
1850
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1880
photo credits: Wikimedia Commons
country of citizenship: France
languages spoken, written or signed: French
educated at: École Navale
occupation: aerospace engineer, mathematician, aerospace engineer
award received: Grand prix des sciences mathématiques
Alphonse Pénaud (31 May 1850 – 22 October 1880), was a 19th-century French pioneer of aviation design and engineering. He was the originator of the use of twisted rubber to power model aircraft, and his 1871 model airplane, which he called the Planophore, was the first aerodynamically stable flying model. He went on to design a full-sized aircraft with many advanced features, but was unable to get any support for the project, and eventually committed suicide in 1880, aged 30. Source: Wikipedia (en)
Human - wd:Q919950