Zhu Binhou (; 4 December 1885 – 1940?), also known as Etienne Tsu, was an early Chinese aviator. Born in

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

, Zhu was a son of the prominent banker Zhu Zhiyao ( 朱志尧, a.k.a. Nicolas Tsu). He left for France to study mechanical engineering at the Université Lille 1, graduating in 1903. As he was fascinated with the design and operation of automobiles and ships, 1903 also brought about the revolutionary advent of the controlled, sustained, and powered heavier-than-air machines, which had driven Zhu Binhou into this new frontier of

human flight The history of aviation extends for more than two thousand years, from the earliest forms of aviation such as kites and attempts at tower jumping to supersonic and hypersonic flight by powered, heavier-than-air jets. Kite flying in China ...

. Zhu Binhou gained his aviator's license, issued by the

Aero Club de France Aero is a Greek prefix relating to flight and air. In British English, it is used as an adjective related to flight (e.g., as a shortened substitute for aeroplane). Aero, Ærø, or Aeros may refer to: Aeronautics Airlines and companies * Aero ( ...

, in 1914 at the beginning of

World War I 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 ...

, and joined, as part of the

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, Armoured Cavalry Arm, cavalry, Military engineering, engineers, Airborne forces, airborne troops. It was created ...

, Escadrille SPA.37 of the French Air Service in 1915; he is credited with downing five German aircraft and

observation balloon An observation balloon is a type of balloon that is employed as an aerial platform for intelligence gathering and artillery spotting. Use of observation balloons began during the French Revolutionary Wars, reaching their zenith during World War ...

s, and four probables between 10 July 1916 and 7 January 1917. Demobilized in 1919, he returned to China where he took part in the creation of the Chinese Flying school which was equipped with French machines. A Colonel in 1925, he died in Shanghai in 1940.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zhu, Binhou 1885 births 1940 deaths Date of death unknown Year of death uncertain People from Shanghai Chinese aviators French World War I flying aces Officers of the French Foreign Legion Aviation pioneers

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