COVER N.140 - FRANCE.

Postmark: Bureau Philatélique Toulouse Capitole  08.07.22
Posted on the 8th July; received on the 13th July 2022
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Merci Marie-José for this cover with a very interesting stamp on it.

French engineer and avion pioneer Henri Marie Léonce Fabre (1882-1984) is credited with having designed and flown the first successful iteration of a full seaworthy flying machine, capable of taking-off and landing in a water surface. Although not initially referred to as such, his invention would go into history books as  le Hydravion, a word that to this day finds a place in many languages including mine, where sea operating aircraft, both float planes and flying boats alike, are generally referred to as hidro-aviões.

The first flight of his machine took place at the Etang de Berre, on 28 March 1910, following previous unsuccessful tries. The “canard” a name that acknowledged the configuration of the flying surfaces of the aircraft , (besides the main wing, canard aircraft have a forward mounted smaller wing meant to increase lift) was powered by a gnome Omega 50 hp rotary engine and measured 8,5 metres long, with a wingspan of 14 m, weighing in at 380 kg.

The aircraft crashed on 12 April 1911, while being flown at the Concours de Canots Automobiles de Monaco. Its remnants were recovered in 1922 and the restored aircraft is now on display at the Musée de l'air et de l'espace, at le Bourget, Paris.

Contrary to many other flight pioneers, Henri Fabre had a long life, a fact to which his having quit developing aircraft and concentrating in the development of floats for aircraft might  have had some positive influence 😊

The very beautiful 3€ stamp with the effigy of Henri Fabre and the image of his "Canard" taking off  in the background was issued on 27MAR2010, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first successful flight of a sea plane.