View source for Henri Fabre

{{Short description|19/20th-century French aviator and inventor of the seaplane}}
{{About|the inventor|the biologist|Jean-Henri Fabre}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Henri Fabre
| image              = Henri Fabre on Hydroplane 28 March 1910.jpg
| caption            = Henri Fabre on Hydroplane on 28 March 1910
| birth_name         = 
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1882|11|29|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Marseille]], [[France]]
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1984|6|30|1882|11|29|df=y}}
| death_place        = [[Le Touvet]], [[France]]
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| resting_place      = Le Touvet, France
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| nationality        = French
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| employer           = 
| occupation         = Pilot, businessman, engineer
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}}

'''Henri Fabre''' ({{IPA|fr|ɑ̃ʁi fabʁ}}; 29 November 1882 – 30 June 1984) was a French [[aviator]] and the inventor of the first successful [[seaplane]], the [[Fabre Hydravion]].<ref>{{cite web|last = Naughton|first = Russell|title = Henri Fabre (1882–1984)|work = Monash University Centre for Telecommunications and Information Engineering|publisher = Monash University|date = May 15, 2002|url = http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/fabre.html|accessdate = May 9, 2008}}</ref>

Henri Fabre was born into a prominent family of shipowners in the city of [[Marseille]]. He was educated in the [[Jesuit]] College of Marseilles where he undertook advanced studies in sciences.

He intensively studied [[aeroplane]] and [[propeller]] designs. He patented a system of flotation devices which he used when he succeeded in taking off from the surface of the [[Etang de Berre]] on 28 March 1910. On that day, he completed four consecutive flights, the longest about 600 metres. the ''Hydravion'' has survived and is displayed in the [[Musée de l'Air]] in Paris. Henri Fabre was soon contacted by [[Glenn Curtiss]] and [[Gabriel Voisin]] who used his invention to develop their own seaplanes.

As late as 1971, Fabre said he was still sailing his own boat single-handedly in [[Marseille]] harbour.<ref>Munson, J. C. and Kenneth Taylor  ''Jane's History of Aviation''</ref>

He died at the age of 101 as one of the last living [[Early Birds of Aviation|pioneers]] of human flight.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060520173823/http://www.cyprien-fabre.com/ The Fabre family]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fabre, Henri}}
[[Category:French aviation pioneers]]
[[Category:Members of the Early Birds of Aviation]]
[[Category:French men centenarians]]
[[Category:1882 births]]
[[Category:1984 deaths]]


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