Credit: Nuestro Stories
Latinos and Latinas have been involved in aviation since the birth of flight – and the depth of the contribution of Mexicans is impressive. They set records and explored the farthest limits of the globe with flying machines that came straight out of their imagination. It is from Mexico that we get the early birds of aviation.
Who were the early birds of aviation?
Mexican aviators experimented with gliders since the early turn of the century, and many had successful flights. One of these was the Aldasoro Brothers.
The Aldasoro Brothers – Juan and Eduardo – are both known as the pioneers of Mexican aviation. They were born (only a year apart, 1893 and 1894) in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico, to a wealthy family. Their father, Andres Aldasoro, was the Minister of Public Works in the government of Porfirio Díaz and a general manager of a profitable mine.
The wealth came in handy for the future of the inseparable Aldasaro Brothers.
Since their high school days, the brothers shared their love of mechanics and flight. In 1908, they began designing and implementing their first glider, tested it in fields outside a Mexico City cemetery, and could fly roughly a hundred meters. It was a fantastic achievement.
But what they wished for was to fly in their own planes.
Read more: José Vasconcelos, One of the Most Difficult Figures to Ignore in Mexico’s History
The Aldasoro brothers flew with ambition by their side
March 9, 1909, was the watershed moment. That day, Juan and Eduardo took the glider to the outskirts of Mexico City, where they had an obstacle-free path.
They were creative in the methods they used for propulsion. The glider was towed by a steam automobile named “White” – the fastest car in those days – it reached a terminal velocity of 50 Km. Per hour.
The framework of the glider itself was made of wood, the wings were covered by hardened blanket fabric (with engrudo, which is wallpaper paste), and the landing gear was fashioned with steel tubes and bicycle wheels.
They covered the finished glider with a linen cloth to hide it because the brothers feared someone would steal their design.
Juan was the designated pilot, and Eduardo would drive the car meant to pull the glider. But there was an accident on the test flight. Juan survived but was injured with a broken leg.
But, out of failure came triumph, and, seeing the glider could fly, the brothers decided to make a safer engine that could be adapted to the plane.
Construction and testing were completed in 1911, and the fueled airplane – air-cooled, capable of developing up to 60 hp and 900 RPM – was fit to be tried.
The brothers had planned an effective “thick wing” (the wing's thickness affects the lift) long before any European designers, and they improved the streamlined features of the plane.
The rest – as they say – is history. The Aldasoro Brothers were awarded scholarships by the Mexican government and went on to study aviation at the Moissant Aviation School in New York.
On graduation day, Juan did a fly-over of the Statue of Liberty.
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