René Leduc (1898–1968) was a French engineer who is much acclaimed for his work on

ramjet A ramjet, or athodyd (aero thermodynamic duct), is a form of airbreathing jet engine that uses the forward motion of the engine to produce thrust. Since it produces no thrust when stationary (no ram air) ramjet-powered vehicles require an ass ...

s. In 1949 the

Leduc 0.10 The Leduc 0.10 was a research aircraft built in France, one of the world's first aircraft to fly powered solely by a ramjet. Design and development Designed by René Leduc in 1938, it was built at the Breguet Aviation factory after a protracted, ...

became the first aircraft to fly under the power of ramjets alone. Development of this aircraft had begun in 1937, but was severely delayed by the interruption of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. After cancellation of French Air Ministry contracts for the Leduc ramjet aircraft projects, in 1958 Leduc's company converted from aeronautics to hydraulics, becoming known as 'Hydro Leduc' and eventually focussing on production of hydraulic pumps for excavators.Hydro Leduc company history, at hydroleduc.com
Accessed 30 December 2017

References

1898 births 1968 deaths 20th-century French engineers Jet engine pioneers {{France-engineer-stub