Charles Fauvel

Charles Fauvel ( born December 31, 1904 in Angers, † September 10, 1979 in Italy) was a French aircraft designer.

Life

Charles Fauvel was attracted to aviation at an early age. From 1913, he had already built model airplanes and participated in model airplane competitions. In 1923 he received a scholarship for flight training and earned his pilot's license. After that he joined the Academy of French Air Force. In 1925 he flew his first competition in Vauville. In the same year, during his military service in Chateauroux, he met Pierre Massenet and was co-founder of the aviation club at the Military Academy.

Charles Fauvel was known for his constructions of flying wing. In 1925 he designed his first flying wing AV.1, followed by further variants AV.2 to Av.10 1937 for the first time flew. The type designation of AV stands for Aile Volante (flying wing).

Due to the Second World War and its development work was interrupted. In 1940, when Germany invaded France, Charles Fauvel was assigned as commander of a squadron to Morocco. After the armistice, back in France Fauvel ladder to the Air Force Center was named in Avignon. In May 1945 he became head of the aeronautical facility in Castelnaudary and started the cooperation with the " Société Aéronautique du Rhône " in order to justify his AV.17 developed, based on the AV.3 model.

However, his biggest commercial success was the Flying wing soaring plane Fauvel AV.36, which was first flown in 1951 and then in over 16 countries around the world came into use. From 1955, the AV.36 was also built in Germany. In 1954, Charles Fauvel his own company, the company " Survol " in Cannes, southern France with the purpose to promote the Nurflügelbau. In 1956 he presented the AV.22. From this two-seater version six were built. 1971 Charles Fauvel decided addition to the commercial production of his flying wings, simpler versions for hobby aircraft manufacturer to manufacture. The company presented Survol kits and drawing forth under the type designation AV.361, AV.451 and AV.60. How many Fauvel machines were manufactured worldwide is not exactly busy.

Fauvel was also owner of a number of world records, including a height and sustained flight in 1929 for aircraft below 400 kg of total mass.

He died on 10 September 1979 at the wheel of his aircraft CAB GY -30 Supercab at a crossing of the Alps north of Genoa in Italy.