| Ján Bahýľ | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 May 1856 Zvolenská Slatina, Kingdom of Hungary |
| Died | 13 March 1916 Bratislava |
| Occupation | Inventor |
| Spouse | Rozália Schwanzerová |
| Children | Frida, Wilhelmina, Gustav |
Ján Bahýľ (25 May 1856 – 13 March 1916) was a Slovak inventor and constructor. He was working on several problems from the areas of military science, military construction, engineering etc. Among others, he focused on flying machines.[1] In 1895, he was granted a patent on helicopter.[2]
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Ján Bahýľ was born in Zvolenská Slatina, Kingdom of Hungary (today Slovakia). In 1869, Bahýľ graduated from the Mining Academy of Banská Štiavnica (Selmecbánya) with a diploma in technical drawing. After graduation, he joined the Hungarian Army, where he was noticed by superiors after making technical improvements, and was transferred to the technical staff. The new assignment allowed Bahýľ to study at the Vienna Military Academy, where he graduated in 1879, and was commissioned as a lieutenant. During his time in the army, Bahýľ was able to develop a number of inventions, many of which involved hydraulics.
Bahýľ's first invention, called the Steam Tank, was financed entirely by himself and was purchased by the Russian army. Bahýľ was granted seventeen patents in all, including the invention of a tank pump, a hot air balloon combined with an air turbine, the first petrol engine car in Slovakia (in partnership with Anton Marschall), and a lift inside the castle hill up to the Bratislava Castle.