Edvard Rusjan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edvard Rusjan
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Edvard Rusjan in 1911
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| Born | June 6, 1886 |
| Died | January 9, 1911 (aged 24) |
| Occupation | bicycle retailer/manufacturer, airplane inventor/manufacturer, pilot trainer |
Edvard Rusjan (born June 6, 1886 – died January 9, 1911) was a brave flight pioneer. He was also an airplane builder from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He tragically died in an airplane crash in Belgrade, Serbia. Edvard was one of the first people to build and fly his own aircraft in this part of Europe.
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Early Life and Bicycle Designs
Edvard Rusjan was born in Trieste, a big port city that was part of Austria-Hungary at the time. Today, Trieste is in Italy. His father was Slovene, and his mother was Friulan. Edvard grew up in Gorizia, a nearby town.
When he was young, Edvard became a professional bicyclist. He was very creative and even designed his own bicycle models. He worked on these designs with his brother, Josip Rusjan. Edvard was also a member of the Sokol gymnastic association, which promoted physical fitness.
Building and Flying Airplanes
Edvard's passion soon turned to airplanes. He designed his first biplane, which is an airplane with two main wings, and called it Eda I. "Eda" was Edvard's nickname, given to him by his mother.
His first flight happened on November 25, 1909, near Gorizia. He flew about 60 meters (about 200 feet) and reached a height of 2 meters (about 6.5 feet). Just a few days later, on November 29, 1909, he flew even further, covering 600 meters (nearly 2,000 feet) at a height of 12 meters (about 40 feet).
Edvard kept improving his airplane designs. He moved his workshop to a hangar near Miren, south of Gorizia, to continue his work.
Public Flights and New Models
Edvard Rusjan showed his Eda V airplane at a public event on December 6, 1909. Unfortunately, the aircraft broke when it landed. But Edvard didn't give up! In June 1910, he tried an improved Eda V model. This plane allowed him to fly 40 meters (about 130 feet) high and even fly over the entire Miren Field.
The Rusjan brothers eventually ran out of money to build their next model, Eda VII. In 1910, Edvard met a businessman named Mihailo Merćep from Zagreb, Croatia. Merćep offered to help fund their airplane projects.
So, Edvard and Josip moved to Zagreb. There, they started building airplanes on a larger scale. They even worked with the first Croatian pilot, Dragutin Novak. In November 1910, they built a new airplane model called "Sokol," which means "falcon" in some Slavic languages.
Final Flight and Legacy
In January 1911, Edvard and Josip Rusjan went on a tour to promote their airplanes in cities across the Balkan region. During a flight in Belgrade, Serbia, on January 9, 1911, a strong wind hit Edvard's airplane. A wing broke, and the plane crashed into a railway embankment near the Belgrade Fortress. Edvard Rusjan died in the crash.
His funeral was a very large event, with about 14,000 people attending. He was buried in Belgrade's New Cemetery.
Edvard Rusjan's pioneering spirit is remembered in many ways:
- The Maribor Edvard Rusjan Airport in Slovenia is named after him.
- An asteroid, 19633 Rusjan, is named in his honor.
- The Eda Center, a business center in Nova Gorica, is dedicated to his memory.
- One of the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 airplanes in the Jugoslovenski Aerotransport (JAT) fleet was named after Edvard Rusjan.
