AVIATIONABAA
AVIATION COURSEABAA
Very Rare Printing of the Translated Coursebook in Aviation for American Officers in Paris 1918 No Other Known Examples Discovered in OCLC
15941The Heavier-Than-Air; The Aeroplane". 1918 English Translation from the original French as "A Course for the American Officers" in Paris for service in World War I. Written by Marchis a professor at the University of Paris. Mimeographed translation in English. A very rare example of early Franco-American cooperation on aeronautics especially under the threat of World War I and a glimpse in to the very earliest use of aircraft for military purposes. No examples of this rare mimeograph text are found in any institutional collection or library in the United States or abroad according to a search of OCLC Worldcat. <br/><br/>Less than a decade following the Wright Brothers' first flight at Kitty Hawk North Carolina in 1902 flight was growing as an intense area of study both in America and across the Atlantic in Europe. Paris became a center for aeronautic discovery with the Deutsch-Archdeacon Prize given in 1906 to the first observed flight greater than 25 meters and the Aero-Club de France. This text book "Heavier-Than-Air; The Aeroplane" was originally published in parts from 1910 to 1912. World War I provided intense motivation on both sides of the Atlantic to push forward the development of the airplane to a usable form of transport as well as a weapon. The American troops deployed to Paris were put under the tutelage of Professor Marchis of the University of Paris to learn the mechanics of flight as well as operation and maintenance of aircraft and exciting recent developments. Professor Marchis had his groundbreaking text book translated hurriedly into English in order to accompany his courses to the American Officers in his training. One chapter begins "The Eiffel Tower was the first laboratory utilized by the celebrated engineer in his researches in aerodynamics carried on during the past ten years. Bodies thrown from one of the platforms of the tower have permitted a study of free fall in calm air." Other chapters explain "Data Varying with Altitude" "Gyration" etc. There are several double-sized or even much larger sheets of equations and hand-drawn graphs on blue carbon paper folded in to explain aspects of flight. One of the most exciting features of this book is the apparent speed under which it was translated and prepared for use. Double-prints of words "the the" pages that drop off midway through and pick up again on the following page spelling errors and misprints abound. The quality of the original printing varies dramatically as the mimeograph machine apparently lost ink. The hand-drawn carbon images of graphs are transferred directly from the original and not translated from French. The quality of the book demonstrates its immediate necessity for the immense task at hand in winning the war. Hard-bound brown half morocco covers. Spine labeled in gilt in French "L. Marchis Cours Aeronautique Pours Les Officers Americains." A large-sized thick book of over 300 pages. Rubbed on spine and corners. Partial split along spine. Very rare. unknown books
Max Rambod Inc. · États-Unis2 850,00 $US≈ 2 411,38 €
