History
Alberto Santos Dumont (July 20, 1873 – July 23, 1932) was an early pioneer of aviation. He was
born in, and died in, Brazil. Heir of a prosperous coffee producer family, Santos Dumont dedicated
himself to science studies in Paris.
Santos Dumont designed, built, and flew the first practical dirigible balloons. In doing so he
became the first person to demonstrate that routine, controlled flight was possible. This "conquest of
the air", in particular winning the Deutsch de la Meurthe prize on October 19, 1901 on a flight that
rounded the Eiffel Tower,[1] made him one of the most famous people in the world during the early
20th century.
In addition to his pioneering work in airships, Santos Dumont made the first public flight of an
airplane on October 23, 1906. Designated 14-bis or Oiseau de proie (French for "bird of prey"), the
flying machine was the first fixed-wing aircraft witnessed by the European press and French aviation
authorities to take off and successfully fly. Santos Dumont is considered the "Father of Aviation" in
Brazil, his native country.[2] His flight is the first to have been certified by the Aéro Club de France
and the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI).
General characteristics
Wingspan: 36 ft 9 in (11.20 m)
Length: 31 ft 10 in (9.70 m)
Height: 11 ft 2 in (3.40 m)
Wing area: 560 ft² (52 m²)
Empty weight: approximately 340 lb (155 kg)
Loaded weight: 462 lb (210 kg)
Power plant: 1× Antoinette V-8, 50 hp (37 kW), driving a pusher propeller
Performance
Maximum speed: 25 mph (32 km/h to 43 km/s)
Range: >720 ft (demonstrated) (>220 m)
Wing loading: 1.2 lb/ft² (5.7 kg/m²)
Specifications - 14-bis
Introduction
This Historic Wings kit is made from etched brass for the main structure, with cast metal
detail parts. The flying surfaces can be covered with the tissue paper supplied, although many
modellers may prefer to leave the structure uncovered to show the details.
Brass components can be soldered together, or joined with cyanoacrylate (SuperGlue) or 5-
minute epoxy. If you have the skills and equipment we recommend soldering.
To remove parts from the etched fret, you can use a pair of side cutters, or put the fret on a
ceramic tile, and press down on each attaching tab with a sharp knife. If you use the ‘knife & tile’
option, put the attaching tab with the half-etched side of the tab face down. Whichever method
is used, it may necessary to remove the burr of the attachment tab with a needle file afterwards.
CAUTION - MAKE SURE THE ORIENTATION OF THE WING IS CORRECT
BEFORE YOU TWIST EACH RIB.
The wings and elevators are etched with integral ribs. Hold the leading or trailing edge in a
vice or clamp, and then hold each rib in turn with a pair of fine flat-nosed pliers, and twist that rib
through 90 degrees. When all the ribs have been turned, clamp the trailing edge, and do the
process again.
Where etched parts are joined with two inter-locking slots it may be necessary to enlarge a
slot with a needle file. This is because photo-etching is not an exact process, and
sometimes the
etching is slightly uneven across a sheet.
