October 9, 1890
French inventor and engineer Clément Ader made aviation history when he attempted to fly a steam-powered aircraft that he had built. This aircraft was named the Éole in honor of Aeolus, the ancient Greek god of the winds, and it featured wings resembling those of a bat.
Ader tested his flying machine just outside of Paris, specifically at the estate of his friend Isaac Pereire. (The estate itself was called the Chateau d’Armainvilliers.) After takeoff, the Éole reached a height of about eight inches (20 centimeters) above the ground — bad weather and the poor power-to-weight ratio of the steam engine reportedly prevented the aircraft from soaring higher – and achieved a flight distance of approximately 165 feet (50 meters).
Ader’s short flight was essentially a steam-propelled “hop” that he could not control or sustain. His aviation effort, however, also marked the first time in which a powered aircraft carrying a human did make a takeoff from level ground and (albeit briefly) stay aloft. Ader achieved this milestone 13 years before the Wright Brothers made what is regarded as the first controlled, sustained, and powered heavier-than-air human flight.
(The accompanying image features patent drawings of the Éole.)
Image Credit: Public Domain
For more information on Clément Ader, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cl%C3%A9ment_Ader
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