Souce: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-10-18/mumbai/27162445_1_wright-brothers-plane-air-show
MUMBAI: As the roar of the engines of the Air Force jets died down when
the air show ended on Sunday, there were a few whose thoughts went back
to the first flight of a plane at the very Chowpatty beach over which
the air show was held.
In 1895 an Indian pioneer flew what is said to be the first Indian plane in the air. The centenary year of the first successful flight, by the Wright brothers, was celebrated from December 17, 2003. But our own pioneer from Mumbai, Shivkar Bapuji Talpade, made an aircraft and had flown it eight years earlier. One of Talpade's students, P Satwelkar, has chronicled that his craft called 'Marutsakha'(Friend of the Winds) flew unmanned for a few minutes and came down.
In 1895 an Indian pioneer flew what is said to be the first Indian plane in the air. The centenary year of the first successful flight, by the Wright brothers, was celebrated from December 17, 2003. But our own pioneer from Mumbai, Shivkar Bapuji Talpade, made an aircraft and had flown it eight years earlier. One of Talpade's students, P Satwelkar, has chronicled that his craft called 'Marutsakha'(Friend of the Winds) flew unmanned for a few minutes and came down.
Talpade belonged to the Pathare Prabhu community, one of the founder of
Mumbai. According to aviation historians Mr Talpade used his knowledge
of the Rig Vedas to build a
plane. Orville and Wilbert Wright accomplished their feat in California
on December 17,1903. Their flight lasted for 37 seconds.
The Wright brothers based the design of their aircraft by studying bird movements. Mr Talpade used the principle of solar energy combined with mercury to design his plane.
Pratap Velkar, in his book on the Pathare Prabhu community, says that Mr Talpade also studied the achievements of aviation pioneers like Alva Edison who flew in a balloon and survived a mishap in 1880. Mr Talpade's study included the experiment of machine gun inventor Hiram Maxim who propelled his steam plane down a slope. It did not take off for technical reasons.
In 1896 Samuel Langley's steam balloon flew at a height of 100 feet and a three quarters of a mile. Then came the famous Zeppelin 1900 which successfully flew at a height of 1100 feet after three attempts in Germany.
The first breakthrough in flying was made by a Brazlian, Santos D'Monte. He made 14 planes between 1901 and 1904 in his country. And he flew them himself. Many believe that Santos was the first successful flier and not the Wright Brothers.
According to Mr Velkar, Mr Talpade studied these flights which inspired him to make an aircraft and fly. Mr Talpade was staying at what is today Nagindas Shah Marg in Girgaum in the bustling heart of Mumbai. The frame of the historic plane was gathering dust at his house after his death. One of his nieces, Roshan Talpade, has been quoted by Mr Velkar's book saying the family used to sit in the aircraft's frame and imagine they were flying. At a recent exhibition on flying at Vile Parle, a model of 'Marutsakha' was exhibited.
Mr Velkar regrets that Mr Talpade's plane has not found a place in the aviation museum at Nehru Centre, nor is there a memorial to his feat at Chowpatty.
However some documents relating to his experiment have been preserved at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in Bangalore.
At an aeronautical conference in Chennai Talpade's flight was discussed by foreign delegates. D H Bedekar, one-time principal defence scientific officer, has said Mr Talpade's plane for some technical reasons failed to operate to its full design limits.
Talpade wanted to unravel the mystery with further experiments. He even made an appeal for funds some Rs 50,000 at a public meeting in Ahmedabad he had addressed. But to no avail. As his biographer,Professor Kelkar, wrote: "His efforts crashed like a bird whose wings are slashed."
In contrast the US army donated 25,000 dollars to the Wright brothers to pursue their feat. In turn the brothers' invention redefined how the US fought its wars.
The Wright brothers based the design of their aircraft by studying bird movements. Mr Talpade used the principle of solar energy combined with mercury to design his plane.
Pratap Velkar, in his book on the Pathare Prabhu community, says that Mr Talpade also studied the achievements of aviation pioneers like Alva Edison who flew in a balloon and survived a mishap in 1880. Mr Talpade's study included the experiment of machine gun inventor Hiram Maxim who propelled his steam plane down a slope. It did not take off for technical reasons.
In 1896 Samuel Langley's steam balloon flew at a height of 100 feet and a three quarters of a mile. Then came the famous Zeppelin 1900 which successfully flew at a height of 1100 feet after three attempts in Germany.
The first breakthrough in flying was made by a Brazlian, Santos D'Monte. He made 14 planes between 1901 and 1904 in his country. And he flew them himself. Many believe that Santos was the first successful flier and not the Wright Brothers.
According to Mr Velkar, Mr Talpade studied these flights which inspired him to make an aircraft and fly. Mr Talpade was staying at what is today Nagindas Shah Marg in Girgaum in the bustling heart of Mumbai. The frame of the historic plane was gathering dust at his house after his death. One of his nieces, Roshan Talpade, has been quoted by Mr Velkar's book saying the family used to sit in the aircraft's frame and imagine they were flying. At a recent exhibition on flying at Vile Parle, a model of 'Marutsakha' was exhibited.
Mr Velkar regrets that Mr Talpade's plane has not found a place in the aviation museum at Nehru Centre, nor is there a memorial to his feat at Chowpatty.
However some documents relating to his experiment have been preserved at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in Bangalore.
At an aeronautical conference in Chennai Talpade's flight was discussed by foreign delegates. D H Bedekar, one-time principal defence scientific officer, has said Mr Talpade's plane for some technical reasons failed to operate to its full design limits.
Talpade wanted to unravel the mystery with further experiments. He even made an appeal for funds some Rs 50,000 at a public meeting in Ahmedabad he had addressed. But to no avail. As his biographer,Professor Kelkar, wrote: "His efforts crashed like a bird whose wings are slashed."
In contrast the US army donated 25,000 dollars to the Wright brothers to pursue their feat. In turn the brothers' invention redefined how the US fought its wars.
