Henri Fabre

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This article is about the inventor. For the biologist, see Jean-Henri Fabre.

Henri Fabre (born in Marseille on 29 November 1882, died in 1984) was a French aviator and the inventor of Le Canard, the first seaplane in History.

Henri Fabre was born into a prominent family of shipowners in the city of Marseilles. He was educated in the Jesuit College of Marseilles, where he undertook advanced studies in sciences. He then studied intensively aeroplane and propeller designs. He patented a system of flotation devices, which he used when he succeeded in taking off from the surface of the Etang de Berre on March 28th, 1910. On that day, he completed four consecutive perfect flights, the longest about 600 meters. Henri Fabre was soon contacted by Glenn Curtiss and Gabriel Voisin who used his invention to develop their own seaplanes.

During the First World War, he established a company with 200 employees, which was specialized in the manufacture of seaplanes.

He died at the age of 102, as one of the last living pioneers of human flight.

[edit] External links

• The Fabre family
• Biography and photographs