Historical overview
Unconventional engines -Thermal engines with external combustion

C. Ader succeeded in getting an aeroplane off the ground on October 9, 1890, powered solely by his steam engine driving a four-bladed propeller. The Eole lifted off a few centimetres and managed to fly some twenty metres. In 1897, C. Ader's second airplane, on display at the Musée des Arts et Métiers, flew 300 m at 0.50 m altitude. It was towed by two four-bladed propellers driven by two steam engines, each rated at around 15 kW and powered by a common steam generator.

This major achievement was the work of a scientist who was both an engine and aircraft manufacturer. The engine features double steam expansion, and the tubular generator ensures efficient vaporization thanks to a furnace with alcohol-fired burners. The engine operates on the Carnot principle, exploiting the expansion properties of water when it boils under the action of an external heat source.

The hot source of a steam...