Clément Ader: An aviation visionary, hero of the modern era and powered flight pioneer
1903 will forever be remembered as the year when powered flight was born. Its begetters, Wilbur and Orville Wright, made four brief flights at Kitty Hawk and have been credited ever since for laying the foundations of aviation as we know it today.
However, an oft-forgotten French pioneer may have contributed just as much to the world of powered flight several years prior to the Wright Brothers’ maiden voyage. Clément Ader created his aviation marvel, the Éole, in the late 1800’s and took it for its test flight on October 9th 1890.
Named for the Greek Keeper of Winds, Aelous, Ader’s machine is said to have successfully left the ground and “flown” for about 50 metres. He continued with two more iterations of the Éole and in October 1897, his third attempt was tested with the support of the French War Ministry but was ultimately declared a failure.
The third iteration of the Éole, hanging in the Arts et Metiers Museum in Paris, France
In later years however, Ader claimed that his third attempt did leave the ground and flew for 100 metres. Reports suggest a disappearance and reappearance of tyre marks on the runway, indicating a successful flight.
Though his claim is disputed, Clément Ader’s contribution to aviation is undeniable and, depending on your own leniency, he may well be considered the true inventor of powered flight.