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Re: Aircraft Flying

From: Jean-Michel Margot <jmmargot~at~mindspring.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2005 13:06:40 -0500
To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~Gilead.org.il>

At 20:23 27.01.2005, you wrote:
>Having just reviewed "Robur" with its 36 helicopter propellors, I wondered
>if Verne ever had the opportunity to learn of the Wright brother's flight
>in 1903. In fact I do not know when it became generally known even in the
>US., due to their secrecy. And of course in Europe it is considered that
>Bleriot was the first person to "fly" a heavier than air aircraft, and
>that was not until 1906. And it was not until 1959 that the US finally
>recognized 1903 as the first flight, officially.
>
>N Wolcott <mailto:nwolcott2~at~post.harvard.edu>nwolcott2~at~post.harvard.edu

Norm,

Maître du monde (Master of the World) was one of the last novels of JV
published during his life time. According to his letters to Hetzel SON
(they will be published soon), the manuscript of MM was send to the
printing shop in the first weeks of 1904. In one letter, JV explains that
his novel will be "the last word in the area of automobiles..." (le dernier
mot de l'automobilisme). The Wright Brother's flight was done in December
1903 and very few people were informed. It seems unrealistic that Verne
knew about the Wright brothers. In his mind, according to his letter,
l'Epouvante (the Terror) was first an automobile. At the turn of the
century the news were more dedicated to the spectacular and fast evolution
of automobiles than airplanes and Verne was an avid reader of the news.


Jean-Michel Margot
Received on Fri 28 Jan 2005 - 20:06:59 IST

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