FIRST STEPS TOWARD SPACE - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

NUMBER 10
international award, in recognition of my role as
a pioneer. 7
NOTES
Under the title Teoreticheskie i eksperimental'nye raboty
vo Frantsii mnogostupenchatym raketam (1930-1939), this
paper appeared on pages 25-33 of Iz istorii astronavtiki i
raketnoi tekhniki: Materialy XVIII mezhdunarodnogo astronavticheskogo
kongressa, Belgrad, 25-29 Senlyavrya 1967
[From the History of Rockets and Astronautics: Materials
of the 18th International Astronautical Congress, Belgrade,
25-29 September 1967], Moscow: Nauka, 1970.
1. Louis Damblanc, "Les Fusee autopropulsives a explosifs;
essais au point fixe; Application des resultants, experimentaux
a l'etude du mouvement," L'Aerophile, vol. 43, July and
August 1935, pp. 205-09 and 241-47; and "I razzi autopropulsive
ad esplosivo," Rivista Aeronautica, vol. 7, January
1936, pp. 87-100.—Ed.
2. L. Damblanc, "Les Helicopteres et les laboratoires
d'essais," I'Adrophile, vol. 28, 15 October 1920, pp. 314-315;
and "The Problem of the Helicopter," Journal of the Royal
Aeronautical Society, vol. 25, January 1921, pp. 3-19.—Ed.
3. L. Damblanc, "Sur un disposif applicable aux moteurs
d'aviation pour reduire les pertes de puissance en altitude,"
Comptes Rendus de l'Academie des Sciences, vol. 180, 14
April 1925, pp. 1161-64; and "Du moteur d'aviation au
moteur d'automobile," VAerophile, vol. 35, 15 March 1927,
pp. 67-70.—Ed.
4. Damblanc died in early December 1969. A necrology
appeared in the 10 December 1969 issue of Le Parisien
Libere, written by Louis Lamarre, "Louis Damblanc, le pere
des fusees a etages est mort" [Louis Damblanc, The Father of
Staged Rockets Is Dead].—Ed.
5. Louis Damblanc, Les Fusees autopropulsives a explosifs
(Paris: Ministere de l'Education Nationale, 1935).—Ed.
6. "Memorandum of Understanding Between the Government
of the United States of America and the Provisional
Government of the French Republic Regarding Settlement
For Lend-Lease, Reciprocal Aid, Surplus War Property, and
Claims," pp. 4175-78, in United States Statutes at Large, vol.
61 (in 6 parts), p. 4, International Agreements Other Than
Treaties (Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing
Office, 1948).—Ed.
7. "The History of the REP-Hirsch Award," Astronautics,
No. 34 (June 1936), pp. 6-7 and 13.
Appendix
Official test report, dated 30 May 1936, from the
French National Office of Scientific and Industrial
Research and of Inventions.
The test was carried out on a body including two
metal armatures, with dimensions, diameter and
thickness conforming to the actual model, those
two armatures being connected by an assembly con­
forming to the invention.
AUTHENTICATION
1. The total assembly had the rigidity and solidity
permitting it to be handled under normal con­
ditions with complete satisfaction.
2. The rocket body was placed in accordance with
the experimental conditions (climbing flight).
The upper body was restrained; the lower body
included a sufficient powder charge for ensuring
lining of the rocket up to the connecting as­
sembly level.
This powder charge was ignited and after 7
seconds, the time corresponding exactly to the total
combustion duration of the charge, the lower body
became detached sharply and fell on the ground,
the connecting assembly having melted only when
the ignited powder came into contact with it.
The Director of the National Office
of Research and Inventions
(Signed) J. L. Breton
Member of the Institute
55