Gabriel Voisin, 1880-1973
6. Gabriel Voisin Et Son Appareil, Au Camp De Châlons
One of the greats of French aviation, Gabriel Voisin built his first airplane for Ferber in 1907. It was based on their loose understanding of the Wright brother's design which they had not yet seen. Voisin and Ferber hadn't yet grasped the Wright's innovative system of lateral control through wing warping, hence the vertical "curtains" between the wings, designed to counter roll and give the aircraft the stability of a box kite. The result flew but was next to impossible to turn.