Santos-Dumont Demoiselle
Alberto Santos-Dumont · France · first flew 1908 · light aircraft
The Santos-Dumont Demoiselle was the world's first practical light aircraft, a diminutive monoplane that Santos-Dumont flew from 1908 and whose plans he gave freely to the public, making it the ancestor of the homebuilt and ultralight movement.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- World's first series light aircraft, offered free to any constructor who wanted to build one
- Pilot sat below the high bamboo-and-silk wing with feet on the undercarriage axle
- Tiny monoplane weighing under 120 kg, regarded as the ancestor of the ultralight
Tiny high-wing monoplane with a bamboo-and-fabric structure, the pilot seated below and behind the wing leading edge, a tractor engine, and a simple wheeled undercarriage.
Specifications
- The Santos-Dumont Demoiselle has a length of 8 m (26 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 5.5 m (18 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 120 km/h (75 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in 1908, the Demoiselle (French for 'dragonfly' or 'young lady') was the culmination of Santos-Dumont's personal aircraft designs. Its plans were published in Popular Mechanics in 1910, and several examples were built by enthusiasts around the world.
Variants
Santos-Dumont built several versions numbered from 19 to 22, progressively refining the fuselage structure, engine, and wing area; No. 20 and No. 22 were the most successful.
Where you'll see it
A purely private and sporting aircraft, the Demoiselle was never adopted for military or commercial use; failing health led Santos-Dumont to retire from flying in 1910.
Related aircraft
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