The A Vlaicu I was the first powered airplane built by Aurel Vlaicu.
Design and development
After flying his glider in Binținți, Aurel Vlaicu moved to the Kingdom of Romania. With help from Romanian-Transylvanian expatriates in Bucharest, he obtained financial support to build his first powered airplane, following a number of demonstration flights with rubber-powered models in front of Romanian government officials and journalists.Gheorghiu, 1960, p.47-55
On November 1, 1909, he began the construction of his first powered airplane, the A. Vlaicu Nr. I at the Army Arsenal in Bucharest. The Romanian Ministry of War provided an initial grant of 2000 lei, and Minister of Public Education was paying Vlaicu a 300 lei monthly stipend.
The A. Vlaicu Nr. I flew for the first time on June 17, 1910, over Cotroceni airfield.
For his design, Aurel Vlaicu was granted in 1911 patents: AT60800, CH54597, DK15328, FR422554 and GB191026658.
Military Commission Report
Below are the minutes after aerial demonstrations held by Aurel Vlaicu in August 1910 before a military commission :
Underwriters assisting in day August 13, 1910, from flights performed by the airplane or engineer Vlaicu I agree to the following conclusions to be made to the Ministry of War, which subsidizes this engineer .
Signatures:
Captain (indecipherable) Major (probably) Mihailov Colonel D. Iliescu General Georgescu
Operational history
On September 28, 1910, as a part of the Fall military exercises, Vlaicu flew his airplane from Slatina to Piatra Olt carrying a message, an early instance of an airplane being used for military purposes.Gheorghiu, Constantin C. (1960). Aurel Vlaicu, un precursor al aviaţiei româneşti. Bucharest: Editura Tehnică.
On October 17, 1910, he performed a demonstration flight on .
Last public display was on September 17, 1913, part of Aurel Vlaicu's funeral procession.
Operators Romanian Air Corps
Galley
Specifications (Military)
See also
Aurel Vlaicu A Vlaicu II A Vlaicu III List of aircraft (pre-1914)
References