Établissements d'Aérostation Militaire Français de Chalais-Meudon (1894)
Engineer Jean-Baptiste-Émile Dorand, then a captain in the French Army, was assigned to Chalais-Meudon in 1894 as a military balloonist. In 1911, Dorand, then a commander, was named chef du Laboratoire de Recherches. On 28 February 1916 the Army created the Section Technique de l'Aeronautique (STAe) at Chalais-Meudon and the then Lt. Col. Dorand was named its director. On 11 January 1918, Colonel Dorand was replaced as head of Section Technique by Comd. Albert Caquot.
Dorand experimented with kites, 1894-1908; in 1908, he modified a motorized kite into a quadruplane, a triplane, and a biplane. In the Laboratoire's wind tunnel, he conducted extensive tests on propellers, including using a moving rail car to measure pull. He designed and built at least two biplanes before completing an armed biplane in 1913 and is also credited with a seaplane and a bomber among other aircraft. As head of STAe, he issued requirements for a 2-seat reconnaissance aircraft to replace the Farman F.40 pusher. The aircraft was designed at Chalais-Meudon by Capt. Georges Lepère but called the Dorand AR after STAe's director.
Dorand has no first name listed in G and 2dG; in SD he is Capt. Jean Dorand; on the Internet, he is more frequently identified as Emile with whatever military rank. 1920Dir22 lists "Chalais-Meudon, Établissements Aéronautique de."
l'Etablissement(s) d'Aerostation Militaire Francais de Chalais-Meudon, created 1874; within that, Laboratoire de Recherches de lAeronautique Militaire de Chalais-Meudon, established 1901. In 1916, the Section Technique de l'Aéronautique (STAe) was created as a part of Chalais-Meudon.
Sources
- http://hydroretro.net/edudegh/errements_3e_republique.pdf
- http://www.precurseursaviation.com/dorand.htm
- http://www.carnetdevol.org/aerostation/aviation.htm
- WDAR
- Gunston, 1993, p100
- SD195;
| Organization names | Etablissements d'Aérostation Militaire Français de Chalais-Meudon; Laboratoire de Recherches de l'Aéronautique Militaire de Chalais-Meudon; Section Technique de l'Aéronautique; STAe |
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| Entity type | |
| Country | France |
| City | French Army Aerostation at Chalais-Meudon |
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| Scope | |
| Started aero | Dorand, 1894 |
| Ended aero | Dorand, 1918 |
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