René Couzinet
| René Couzinet | |
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René Couzinet exits from the Biarritz in 1933
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| Born |
René Couzinet 20 July 1904 Saint-Martin-des-Noyers, France |
| Died | 16 December 1956 (aged 52) Paris, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Inventor, Aircraft engineer and manufacturer |
| Known for | Couzinet Aircraft |
| Spouse(s) | Gilberte (1936) |
René Couzinet (born 20 July 1904, Saint-Martin-des-Noyers, Vendée, died 16 December 1956) was a French aeronautics engineer and aircraft manufacturer. The Société des Avions René Couzinet manufactured a range of Couzinet aircraft during the 1920s and 1930s.
Couzinet's father was a school teacher, and from a very young age he was fascinated by aviation and observing the flight of swallows. In 1921 he enrolled at the École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers (ENSAM) (School of Arts and Crafts) at Angers (with Louis Béchereau), where he both graduated and filed several aviation patents. In 1924 he attended the École supérieure de l’aéronautique (Graduate School of Aeronautics). He financed his studies by working in a turbine factory, before joining the French Air Force (Armée de l'air) in November 1925, where he became a lieutenant.
In 1927 he built the Couzinet 10 Arc en Ciel (Rainbow) No 1, a modern shape for its time. It was a three-engined monoplane with thick wings and a tapered body and tailplane, which was characteristic of all Arcs-en-Ciel to follow. Jacques Lacoste, managing director of engine manufacturer Hispano-Suiza, lent him three engines without charge, and additionally he raised a loan of $50,000 US Dollars. The Arc en Ciel's first flight was on 7 May 1928.
The aircraft manufacturer ANF Les Mureaux agreed to take charge of the first prototype, with Couzinet consulting, making observations and studies. The leading French engineer Albert Caquot was also involved with the project.
In 1928, he built the Couzinet 27, a four-seater which crashed during trials on August 8, 1928. The mechanic Lanet was killed immediately, the pilot Drouin died a few days later, and Manuel Gianoli survived.
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