Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi

Hezarfen Ahmed Çelebi ( هزارفن أحمد چلبی / Hezārfenn Ahmed Çelebi, * 1609 in Istanbul, † 1640 in Algeria ) was an Ottoman- Turkish aviation pioneer, is said to have completed a successful glider according to a report by Evliya Çelebi in Istanbul of the 17th century. His surname Hezarfen means something like " a thousand arts ."

Gliding over the Bosphorus

Evliya Çelebi reported in the 17th century that Hezarfen Ahmed Çelebi in 1638 in Istanbul, about three kilometer route from the Galata Tower on the European side, on the Bosphorus, on the Doğancılar Square (now Doğancılar Park) in the Üsküdar district, sliding bridged. He used self-constructed artificial wings. The first rave Sultan Murad IV Çelebi rewarded with gold, later banished him but out of fear of such an ambitious man to North Africa (now Algeria), where Çelebi also died.

Geographical Situation

• The Galata Tower is located 35 m above sea level
• The Doğancılar Square is about 12 m above sea level.
• The height difference between spire and space is 85.59 m.
• The distance between the tower and space is approximately 3.358 km.

Fly Generic classification

Assuming no wind, turbulence-free air and landing without loss of height you need an aircraft with a glide ratio of 1:39,23 for the glide. By hang-gliders sliding conditions are a maximum of 1:27 (as at 2008).

Rocket flight

From Hezarfen Ahmed Çelebi brother, Hasan Çelebi Lagari, it is reported, he should have conducted the first rocket flight. Reports of their successful flights reached England. John Wilkins mentioned in 1638 in "A Discovery of a New World ", citing Busbequius the flight tests " a Turk ":

" [ ... ] 'Tis not impossible Perhaps, did a man ' may be able to Fly, by the application of Wings to his own body; as Angels are pictur'd, as Mercury and Daedalus are feigned, and as hath been attempted by divers, particularly by a Turk in Constantinople, as Busbequius Relates. "