Franz Reichelt Jumping from the Eiffel Tower with a Parachute

In the world of aviation The parachute, which is unique and will allow passengers to descend safely with these parachutes in case of a possible accident, was made by a French tailor.

But this invention and its inventor disappeared into the dusty pages of history, and at an unexpected moment.

French tailor Franz Reichelt was born in Štětí in 1878.

A turning point in the aviation world Reichelt embarked on a passionate effort to design a wearable parachute. In fact, his story turned into a tragic story as he pushed the boundaries of technology.

Since 1910, it has been used to enable people to survive in airplanes without falling to the ground. wearable parachute He started his invention. He tested the first parachute he designed on the fifth floor of an apartment building and found it successful.

Franz Reichelt also presented his design to France’s leading aviation organization, La Ligue Aérienne.

However, the organization The parachute structure is weak He rejected his design for the following reason and warned that he should not waste time with this design. Reichelt, however, persisted and continued by performing drop tests with mannequins in his workshop in Rue Gaillon. However, none of these tests were successful.

in 1911 Albay Lalanceoffered a reward of 10,000 francs for the invention of a parachute that would provide safety for aviators. The competition was to last three years and the requirement was that the parachute should not weigh more than 25 kilograms.

ReicheltAlthough they improved the design, increasing the surface area of ​​the parachute to 12 square meters and reducing its weight, the tests still failed and the dummies crashed hard to the ground.

He repeatedly asked for permission to test at the Eiffel Tower.

He received the expected permission in 1912 and decided to carry out the experiment on himself this time. When you set foot on the first platform of the Tower He jumped into the void with the parachute he was wearing.This is how he prepared his tragic end.

The parachute did not open and things did not go as expected. He fell from a height of 57 meters and died at around 07:00 on Sunday, February 4. He died in a traumatic way.

The Paris Police Department stated that they were told that a mannequin would be used in the experiment, and that they would never allow such a thing for a living person.

Going up the Eiffel Tower Even though all his friends and people tried to persuade Reichelt to give up, he did not change his mind. His last words were to wave to people and say “see you soon!” happened…

Our other content that may interest you: