Charles Terres Weymann
Charles Torrès Weymann ( born August 2, 1889 in Port-au -Prince, Haiti, † 1976 in Paris ) was an aviation pioneer and entrepreneur.
Family and Youth
Charles Weymann was the son of an American father, whose ancestors came from Alsace, and a Haitian mother. About his origins and his childhood only circulate conjectures: It is believed that his mother Cornelia Miot, was the daughter of Charles Miot and Lesinska Cecile Rivière ( 1829-1908 ). Demnäch would Bienaimé Rivière, called Papa Mémé, at that time the richest people of Haiti, who had, among other shipping lines have been his great-uncle. Also it is assumed that his family financed his mother's flight adventure. His grandparents lived in Paris, where she also died. Supposedly born on a ship near Haiti Weymann. He spoke fluent English and French and had probably both the U.S. as well as the French nationality. He lived almost all his life in France and was a knight of the Legion of Honour.
Weymann as aviation pioneer
In 1909, Weymann from American Aero Club pilot's license with the number 24 in August 1910, he participated in the French flight competition Circuit de l' Est. In September 1910, he competed in the Prix Michelin from Paris to Puy de Dôme ( about 400 kilometers ), but had to after seven hours - ten kilometers away from the target - to land due to bad weather. In 1911 he started on a flight from Paris to Rome and the Circuit Européen and participated for the United States at the Gordon Bennett Cup for flying. In November of the same year he won the Concours Militaire in Reims.
During World War II Weymann worked as a test pilot for the company Nieuport
Inventor and entrepreneur
After the war, Charles Weyman used his knowledge of the aircraft frame building to develop its own system for production of car bodies, was excited at the faux leather over wooden frames, called Weymann body. He opened production facilities in Paris (1921 ), London ( 1923) and Indianapolis (1928 ). Demand was high, and Weymann granted licenses for his system to many European companies.
1928 took a team of Weymann, consisting of the drivers Edouard Brisson and Robert Bloch, the 24- hour race at Le Mans on a Stutz Blackhawk DV16 second place in the overall standings. Also, 1929 was a reported by Weymann car in Le Mans start, this time the nozzle fell, driven by Brisson and Louis Chiron, prematurely.
In the late 1920s allowed the demand for after Weymann products that eventually disappeared from the market. It has developed a new system has been fitted in the metal plate between the frames, but it was not suitable for mass production. The French factory was closed in 1930, which it in Indianapolis in the year. The British remained factory for the production of bus bodies under the name Metro Cammell Weymann exist as a company, from which Weymann itself but withdrew in 1932.
Charles Weymann focused in the following on the development of accessories for the car industry. In 1963 he got a patent for an automatic clutch. In addition, he turned back to the flight sport and designed together with the engineer Georges Lepère several aircraft models such as the Weymann 66, and gyroplanes in the Société des Avions CT Weymann.