George Fernic (born Gheorghe Fernic, 5 August 1900 – 29 August 1930) was a Romanian pilot, aircraft engineer, inventor, and amateur
racing driver
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
.
Biography
Fernic became passionate about aviation during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
years, having a military airfield in his vicinity. In 1916 he received his diploma as an aerial photo-observer and later in 1916–17 he was part of the squadron of the 3rd Aeronautic Group.
Indianapolis 500
In 1927, Fernic attempted to qualify for the
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...
. Driving a Bugatti, he failed to make the field. During the race, he drove relief for the Miller car #31. He drove 182 laps in the car, qualified by
Fred Frame. Fernic finished the race one lap behind the winner,
George Souders
George R. Souders (September 11, 1900 - July 26, 1976) was an American race car driver who won the 1927 Indianapolis 500.
Born in Lafayette, Indiana, George Souders led the last 51 laps of the 1927 race after starting in 22nd position as a race ro ...
.
FT-9 & FT-10
After the
FT-9, a year later, in 1930, the FT-10 came out of the factory, a slightly smaller plane, ideal for school and tourism, but also for mass production.
Death
On 29 August 1930, Fernic participated in an air demonstration, held at
Curtiss-Reynolds Airport in Chicago, in the presence of 40,000 spectators. His self-built T.10, also designated FT-10,
Cruisaire, lost power after one of the engine cylinders exploded and pieces of metal thrown by the explosion injured the pilot. The plane crashed into another parked plane and Fernic lost his life in the crash.
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
realized what it had lost and established the
"Virtutea Aeronautică" Order, to reward those with special merits in the field, and patent number 1 was awarded, posthumously, to Fernic.
The characteristics of Fernic's plane were as follows:
Fernic T.10 Cruisaire (X9179)
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* Wingspan: 7.62 m
* Wing area: 36.56 m²
* Own weight: 397 kg
* Weight ready to fly: 600 kg
* Maximum speed: 136 km/h
* Engine: 75 HP Michigan Rover
References
External links
Fișă biobibliografică: George Fernic
George Fernic – inventator in domeniul aviatiei
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernic, George
1900 births
1930 deaths
People from Galați
Romanian aviators
Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States
Romanian inventors