Gabriel Voisin (French pronunciation: [ɡabʁijɛl vwazɛ̃]; 5 February 1880 – 25 December 1973) was a French aviation pioneer. He helped create Europe's first manned, engine-powered, heavier-than-air aircraft that could fly in a circle for 1 kilometer and be controlled. This flight, made by Henri Farman on January 13, 1908, near Paris, France, was a major achievement. During World War I, the company founded by Voisin became a major producer of military aircraft, including the Voisin III. Later, he shifted to designing and building luxury automobiles under the name Avions Voisin.
Early life
Gabriel Voisin was born on 5 February 1880 in Belleville-sur-Saône, France. His brother, Charles Voisin, who was two years younger, was his main companion during childhood. After his father left the family, Gabriel’s mother, Amélie, moved her sons to Neuville-sur-Saône, where they lived near her father’s factory.
Their grandfather, Charles Forestier, supervised the boys’ education with strict discipline. The boys also took trips along the river, fished, and created many inventions. When their grandfather passed away, Gabriel attended school in Lyon and Paris, where he studied industrial design. Voisin believed he had a special talent for this field. He frequently returned home, and by the end of the century, the brothers had constructed, among other items, a rifle, a steamboat, and an automobile.
Early flying experiments
After finishing his studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Lyon in 1899, he joined an architectural firm in Paris. While in Paris, he saw the Clément Ader Avion III, which was shown at the Paris International Exposition of 1900. This experience sparked his interest in the challenges of powered flight. After nine months of military service, in February 1904, he attended a lecture by Captain Ferdinand Ferber, a key figure in French aviation at the time. After the lecture, Voisin met Ferber, who introduced him to Ernest Archdeacon, a major supporter of early French aviation. Archdeacon hired Voisin to test fly a Wright-type glider that he had built. The tests took place at Berck-sur-Mer in April 1904, and short flights of about 20 meters (66 feet) were achieved. Archdeacon then asked Voisin to build another glider with similar design but featuring a fixed horizontal stabilizer behind the wings and a front-mounted elevator. This glider was tested at Issy-les-Moulineaux on 26 March 1905 by being towed into the air using Archdeacon’s automobile. The test was unmanned, with 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of ballast used in place of a pilot, as the aircraft suffered a structural failure and crashed. It was not rebuilt.
Voisin then designed and built a glider with floats for Archdeacon. This aircraft was the first to use Hargrave cells in both the tail section and wings. Voisin successfully flew it on 8 June 1905, after it was towed into the air behind a motorboat on the Seine between the Billancourt and Sèvres bridges. The flight covered about 600 meters (2,000 feet). While working on this aircraft, Voisin met Louis Blériot, who asked him to build a similar machine later known as the Bleriot II. This aircraft differed mainly by having a smaller, lower wing, which caused the outer sections between the upper and lower wings to angle outward. After this first flight, Blériot suggested forming a partnership to build aircraft, so Voisin ended his work with Archdeacon’s group. On 18 July 1905, Voisin attempted flights in both his glider and Blériot’s aircraft. Despite strong crosswinds and difficult permission to use the river, he made a short flight in his glider and then tried Blériot’s aircraft. It took off quickly, but Voisin could not control it, and it crashed into the river. He was trapped inside but managed to escape drowning. Footage of this experiment, taken by Louis Blériot, is preserved in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.
In 1906, Voisin built the Bleriot III for Blériot. This aircraft was a tandem biplane powered by an Antoinette engine driving two tractor propellers. The wings formed a closed ellipse when viewed from the front. According to Voisin, Blériot initially wanted the wings to appear circular in front view, based on his model experiments. The final design was a compromise between the two. This aircraft was not successful, nor was its later version, the Blériot IV, which replaced the forward wing with a conventional biplane arrangement and added a second engine. Experiments were first conducted with floats, then with a wheeled undercarriage. The aircraft was destroyed in a taxiing accident at Bagatelle on 12 November 1906. Later that same day, at Bagatelle, Alberto Santos-Dumont successfully flew his 14-bis canard biplane for more than 100 meters. After the failure of the Bleriot III, Voisin and Blériot ended their partnership. Voisin then started a company with his brother, Charles Voisin, to design and build aircraft.
Commercial airplane production: Voisin Frères
Appareils d'Aviation Les Frères Voisin was the world's first commercial airplane factory. At this time, ambitious European aviators were in intense competition to be the first to achieve powered heavier-than-air flights. Until Wilbur Wright's demonstrations at Le Mans (France) in August 1908, many people did not believe the Wright brothers had achieved sustained flights. For example, the Wrights' Flyer III had flown 24 miles (38.9 km) in 39 minutes 23 seconds on 5 October 1905.
Santos-Dumont's flights in the 14-bis in November 1906 were Europe's first officially observed and verified heavier-than-air powered flights. Although famous, the 14-bis could only fly a short distance in a straight line. It had no other uses and was soon abandoned.
Two nearly identical pusher biplane aircraft, powered by Antoinette engines, were built by the Voisin brothers for two early aviation pioneers. The first was built for Leon Delagrange in March 1907, and the second for his friend and competitor, Henry Farman, in October 1907. The second aircraft became known as the Voisin-Farman I. Farman flew it to win Archdeacon's Grand Prix d'Aviation for completing the first one-kilometer closed-circuit flight on 13 January 1908. Both Farman and Delagrange gained fame with these aircraft, competing against each other for aviation records. The Voisins' machines became widely recognized as Europe's first successful aircraft.
In 1909, Voisin was made a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor and, along with Blériot, received the Prix Osiris from the Institut de France. That same year, Voisin married Adrienne-Lola Bernet; they had one daughter, Janine.
Later, Farman improved the Voisin pusher biplane significantly. After a disagreement, he ended his partnership with the Voisin brothers and began producing his own designs, which became highly successful. The Voisin brothers continued growing their factory, leading to innovations such as the Canard Voisin in 1911.
After the death of Charles Voisin: Aéroplanes G. Voisin
Voisin was deeply affected by the death of his brother Charles in 1912, which happened in an automobile accident near Belleville-sur-Saône. However, he continued to grow the Boulogne-Billancourt factory, which was later renamed Société Anonyme des Aéroplanes G. Voisin.
After 1912, the factory changed its focus to making and selling aircraft for the French military. When World War I began in 1914, Voisin volunteered to serve with the French Air Corps. The Voisin III, a two-seater pusher biplane with a 120 horsepower Salmson radial engine, was used heavily for bombing and observation missions during the war. It had a lightweight steel frame, allowing it to be placed outside. The Voisin III was made in large numbers—about 1,000 units—between 1914 and 1916. It was sold to the French air services and also to other allies, including Russia. The Type VIII (about 1,100 built) and Type X (about 900 built) were delivered in 1917 and 1918. These later models looked almost the same as the Voisin III but were heavier and had Peugeot and Renault engines that were twice as powerful. They also had a longer range and could carry nearly twice as much bomb load as the earlier model. A complete and original Voisin Type VIII bomber aircraft is kept in excellent condition at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. It is the oldest preserved bomber aircraft in the world.
Switch to car production: Avions Voisin
Gabriel Voisin left aviation because of the sadness caused by the military use of his advanced airplanes, such as the Voisin III, during the war. At that time, there was little demand for civilian aircraft. From that point until 1958, he focused on building cars under the brand Avions Voisin. His early cars were among the finest luxury vehicles in the world, featuring unique technical details. Many of these cars won competitions. However, the luxury car market declined in the 1930s due to poor economic conditions. In June 1940, Nazi Germany invaded France, forcing Voisin to shut down his factory. "In 1939, a certain Hitler unleashed the regrettable chain of events that French people are all too familiar with," said Gabriel Voisin. After 1945, he designed a simple car for the general public, the Biscooter. Thousands of these cars were made in Spain during the 1950s as the Biscúter. Today, his pre-war luxury cars are highly valued by collectors in Europe and the USA.
In the 1920s, the company also created a 'Motor-Fly,' which was a bicycle with a small engine attached to the back wheel. They also produced pre-made houses that could be built in three days, labeled 'votre maison en trois jours' (your house in three days). These houses had floor areas of 35, 75, or 105 square meters and were built around a metal frame. Some of these houses still exist, though none remain in their original condition. The houses feature the logo 'Avion Voisin Issy,' the same as other products made by the factory.
Death
In 1960, he retired to his country house, "La Cadolle," located in Le Villars near Tournus on the banks of the Saône River, where he wrote his memoirs. In 1965, he was awarded the title of Commander of the Legion d'Honneur. He passed away on Christmas Day, December 25, 1973, in Ozenay, Saône-et-Loire, at the age of 93. He was buried in Le Villars.