Coupe Michelin Internationale
The Coupe Michelin Internationale was a prize offered by the Michelin tire company of 20,000 francs, for the year's longest flight—provided it was twice as long as the previous year's winning flight.[1] The Aéro-Club de France officiated.
Wilbur Wright was the prize's first winner, setting his longest distance on 31 December 1908.[1] The sculpture for the cup itself, which shows an aviator flying over a fallen Icarus,[2] , was subsequently tweaked to represent a less Farmanesque and more Wrightlike biplane.[3]
Publications referring to Coupe Michelin Internationale
- Publication 132, 1908, Aero Club of France (Simple title: Aero Club of France, Journal: American Aeronaut)
- Publication 8426, 1908, Der Michelin-Preis (Simple title: The Michelin prize, Journal: Wien. Luftsch. Zeit.)
- Degoul, 1909, Les grandes journées de l'aviation (Simple title: The big days of aviation. Worthy performances of Wilbur Wright, Journal: L'Aérophile)
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Berriman, 1913, Aviation, p. 227.
- ↑ Paul Pouchet ,"La Coupe Michelin d'aviation", L'Aérophile Vol. 17, No. 1, 1 January 1909, p. 11.
- ↑ Stephen L. Harp, Marketing Michelin: Advertising and Cultural Identity in Twentieth-Century France; Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001; ISBN 0-8018-6651-0; pp. 158–162.
When Wilbur Wright ultimately won in 1908, Roussel adapted the cup to eliminate what had obviously been Farman's biplane rather than Wright's Flyer. [...]
To be sure of his victory and make the superiority of his machine clear to potential military buyers, Wright made his final flight on 31 December, the last possible day of competition; he flew more than 124 kilometers in a little over two hours, establishing a new record and taking home the Michelin Cup, after it had been recast so that it no longer featured Farman's plane.
| Event names | Coupe Michelin Internationale, International Michelin Cup |
|---|---|
| Event type | competition |
| Country | FR |
| Locations | |
| Start date | 1908 |
| Number of days | |
| Tech focus | Airplane |
| Participants |
