| Monoplane | |
|---|---|
| The Du Temple Monoplane. | |
| Role | |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Félix du Temple |
| First flight | 1874 |
| Number built | 1 |
The du Temple Monoplane was a large aeroplane made of aluminium, built in Brest, France, by naval officer Félix du Temple in 1874.
The plane had a wingspan of 13 m (43 ft) and weighed of only 80 kg (180 lb) without the pilot.
Several trials were made with the plane, and it is generally recognized that it achieved lift-off (from a combination of its own power and running down an inclined ramp)[1][2], glided for a short time and returned safely to the ground, making it the first successful powered flight in history, although the flight was only a short distance and a short time.
The plane was displayed at the 1878 Exposition Universelle ("World Fair") in Paris.
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The plane used a very compact, high-speed circulation steam engine for which Félix du Temple applied for a patent on 28 April 1876. The engine used very small pipes packed together "to obtain the highest possible contact surface for the smallest possible volume" [3]
This type of boiler, which boils the water instantly, has come to be known as a flash boiler. The engine design was later adopted by the French Navy for the propulsion of the first French torpedo boats:
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