means without outside assistance, such as an incline, rails, or catapult.
Born in 1872 in Transylvania, in the then
Austro-Hungarian Empire, Traian Vuia (1872-1950)
developed an early interest in heavier-than-air machines. In 1902, he left for
Paris, the place for all European inventors concerned about flight. On the basis
of a patent obtained in 1903, he developed his winged automobile. On 18 March
1906, in Montesson, France, the Vuia Nr. 1 flew over a distance of 12
meters at the height of 0.6 meters; it was the first airplane with variable
wing angle and the first to use pneumatic, rather than solid rubber, tires (the front pair being steerable) on landing gear.
Romanian enthusiasts emphasize that Vuia's machine was able to take off from a
flat surface on an ordinary road by on-board
means without outside assistance, such as an incline, rails, or catapult. It was powered by a carbonic acid gas engine
driving a single tractor propeller. Vuia's aircraft has been credited as the first
man-carrying monoplane of basically modern configuration. Later, Traian Vuia
improved his first aircraft and also built helicopters. The Timișoara Traian Vuia International Airport is
located in the historical region of Banat and named in honour of Traian
Vuia