Henri Fabre | |
Birth: | 29 November 1882 Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France |
Death: | 30 June 1984 Le Touvet, Isere, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France |
Age: | 101 years, 214 days |
Country: | FRA |
Centenarian |
Henri Fabre (29 November 1882 – 30 June 1984) was a French centenarian and aviator who was the inventor of the first successful seaplane, the Fabre Hydravion.
Biography[]
Henri Fabre was born into a prominent family of shipowners in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France, on 29 November 1882. He was educated in the Jesuit College of Marseille, where he undertook advanced studies in sciences.
Fabre intensively studied aeroplane and propeller designs. He patented a system of flotation devices which he used when he succeeded in taking off from the surface of the Etang de Berre on 28 March 1910. On that day, he completed four consecutive flights, the longest about 600 metres.
The Hydravion has survived and is displayed in the Musee de l'Air in Paris. Fabre was soon contacted by Glenn Curtiss and Gabriel Voisin, both of whom used his invention to develop their own seaplanes.
As late as 1971, Fabre said he was still sailing his own boat single-handedly in the Marseille harbour.
Henri Fabre died in Le Touvet, Isere, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France, on 30 June 1984, at the age of 101 years, 214 days. He was one of the last living pioneers of human flight.
Gallery[]
External Links[]
- The Fabre Family (Archived)
References[]
- Henri Fabre (1882–1984) Monash University (Archived)
- 28 March 1910: anniversary of the first successful powered seaplane flight Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, 28 March 2020