August Euler, the Voisin Airplane and the Comte De Martina

By Matt McGrath

August Euler was a celebrated pilot at the dawn of modern aviation. He ran an aircraft factory in Germany and completed some daring solo flights. Industrial spies were commonplace in the early 20th century in Europe and August was plagued by Comte de Martina and the mysterious boss from Alsace. The spies will stop at nothing to destroy August's factory and put an end to German aviation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Jun 9, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669888598

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Copyright © 2022 by Matt McGrath.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Rev. date: 05/06/2022

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A mild breeze blew from the north on a bright August day in Griesheim. The Voisin double-decker stood at the

end of a provisional runway in the exercise yard. The Voisin was a French design with special modifications that August Euler had made himself, and the double-decker had been built in August’s factory.

August bought a French plane with the hope of flying it in Germany, but his hopes were dashed when French agents sabotaged the motor, making the plane useless. August had also bought a licence to build planes to the French design, and this was what he subsequently did. Flying was a competitive occupation, and the defence department in France had a vested interest in keeping French planes in France.

The prospect of taking off, flying, and landing was tantalizing. Hans Grade had taken off, only to crash-land a few months earlier, and August wanted this to be a successful flight. A crowd had arrived to witness the flying attempt, and August’s wife was with them. She waved to him, and his spirits lifted. August was used to making bold gestures in front of an audience. He had won the auto Grand Prix in the previous year, and he was an avid, accomplished sportsman.

He sold bicycles and cars and travelled widely in Europe and Asia. August was successful and well off, but the real challenge lay ahead of him. He rubbed his hands together in expectation and climbed into the machine.

August started the motor and had his companions remove the chocks under the wheels. The plane rumbled forwards, and the noise of the propeller got louder and louder. The plane accelerated and then miraculously left the ground. August flew for a few minutes before gently easing the plane forwards for a smooth landing.

The crowd applauded, and August stepped out of the biplane and bowed. August and his plane had survived the flight and emerged unscratched. This is a historic moment, thought Euler, and he congratulated himself on this achievement. The German airship cooperative awarded August the first pilot’s licence for his three-minute flight, and Hans Grade obtained the second pilot’s licence later that day.

Hessen is the warmest part of Germany, and the weather was pleasant on the day of the flight. This was a big advantage for Euler. The planes were delicate; flimsy contraptions and flying during a storm were not to be thought of. August’s licence was impressive. It contained a photograph of the pilot and a certificate stating that August was licenced pilot number 1.

Now August had an international licence to fly. Nothing would stop him. He planned to build more flying machines with bolder designs, planes suitable for longer flights with all manner of improvements. There was no time to rest on his laurels; August had much to do. He examined the plane for damage and inspected the motor with some concern. August motioned to an aide who came and helped him drag the plane away to a shed in the corner of the exercise yard.

The crowd began to disperse, and as people slowly drifted away, Euler became pensive. There were still many problems to overcome with the Voisin. Steering was difficult, and the plane’s vertical control was not as good as could be wished, for Euler was considering adding ailerons to the design. Ailerons had never been used on a plane before, and they presented the prospect of improving control significantly. Euler went over to his wife, and she congratulated him on his maiden flight and admired the pilot’s licence. August went home satisfied with the day’s proceedings.

He returned the next day to the quiet airfield in Griesheimer Sand and set to work in his plane factory. The factory was the proud product of many months’ work, and August had already built a modified Voisin in the factory. The Voisin was a biplane with a broad frame and wings that differed from later examples of the aircraft. The design incorporated a V8 motor with propeller modelled after the Wright brothers’ earlier planes, and the plane was made out of steel and wood.

August had great plans for the next model of this aeroplane. The hope was to construct a plane with a more compact design and a more robust propeller. August also wanted to work on the motor. The motor in the Voisin he had already built was an Antoinette. The Antoinette V8 was well known as a motor for aircraft and was made of aluminium, presumably making it especially light and efficient.

August was not only a pilot but also an aircraft technician. His first love remained flying. August made money by selling machines, and the pleasant side effect was that he could test-drive or fly them. He participated in bicycle races, Grands Prix, and a host of other sporting activities. At this early stage of aviation history, flying was considered a sport.

The first pilots were adventurers and daredevils, and they had a fierce sense of patriotism and often exhibited rivalry. August Euler and the great pilot Hans Grade were good friends, and August also befriended the Voisin brothers, who had developed his plane. August had beaten Grade to the pilot’s licence, becoming the first German to do so. Grade had crashed in his first attempt at flying but quickly recovered and flew successfully later, shortly after August Euler’s maiden flight.

August was the only aircraft manufacturer in Germany. Production was just beginning. Euler had lots of designs in mind and had drawn many plans, but only one plane was complete. August drew the designs feverishly and with exacting detail. He had so many ideas and new enthusiasms that he wanted to indulge in that he hardly had time to make sense of them all – a plane with two propellers, a triple-decker, and a plane he called the Gelbe Hund (yellow dog).

August had several assistants, none of whom were in the factory at this early hour. He stuffed his plans into a drawer and proceeded out into the street to check the mail. Several letters had arrived, mostly bills and an invitation to a party at the Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt. The party was being thrown by an automobile magnate, and August would probably have to attend.

One of his assistants arrived, and Euler retreated into his office. The rest of his staff slowly drifted in, and Euler talked to them for a while. There was a great deal to do, and he was busy most of the morning. August went home for lunch and passed a