Franz Reichelt

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Franz Reichelt wearing the parachute he designed
Franz Reichelt wearing the parachute he designed

Franz Reichelt (1800s- February 4, 1912) was an Austrian tailor best known for his recorded accidental death.

[edit] Life, death and legacy

Reichelt (alias the flying tailor) designed an overcoat to fly or float its wearer gently to the ground like the modern parachute. To demonstrate his invention he made a jump of 60 meters from the first deck of the Eiffel Tower, at that time the tallest man-made structure in the world. The parachute failed and Reichelt fell to his death. The jump was recorded by the cameras of the gathered press.

[edit] External links

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