Bartolomeu de Gusmão (nonfiction)
Bartolomeu Lourenço de Gusmão (Santos, Brazil, December 1685 – November 18, 1724) was a Brazilian priest and naturalist, noted for his early work on lighter-than-air airship design.
In 1709 he presented a petition to King John V of Portugal, seeking royal favour for his invention of an airship, in which he expressed the greatest confidence. The contents of this petition have been preserved, together with a picture and description of his airship. Developing the ideas of Francesco Lana de Terzi, S.J., Gusmão wanted to spread a huge sail over a boat-like body like the cover of a transport wagon; the boat itself was to contain tubes through which, when there was no wind, air would be blown into the sail by means of bellows. The vessel was to be propelled by the agency of magnets which were to be encased in two hollow metal balls.
The public test of the machine, which was set for June 24, 1709, did not take place.
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External links:
- Bartolomeu de Gusmão @ Wikipedia