Aerobatics
The pioneers
of aerobatics
Adolphe Célestin Pégoud and Pyotr Nesterov
Adolphe Célestin Pégoud, a French First World War ace, and Pyotr Nesterov, his Russian counterpart, invented aerobatics, starting with the loop, each on his own side and without knowing each other. Both were very gifted pilots, quickly enlisted in the first fighter squadrons, and developed the first aerobatic figures to surprise the enemy, either to attack or to escape. Since 1938, aerobatic competitions have been held every year at national and international level.
Jean-Marie Klinka
Did you know that our Cap 10 Tango Alpha has a wood-carbon spar? It was one of the first aircraft to benefit from this improvement.
And who designed and applied this technology to this Mudry aircraft? Jean-Marie Klinka. Very few people in aviation, at least in recreational flying, have heard of this man.
Yet this aeronautical engineer, passionate about aerobatics and very discreet, has left us a whole line of superb aircraft over 50 years. Without him, aerobatics, a discipline in which France has had so much success, would not be what it is today in every club and international competition.
It is indeed largely Jean-Marie Klinka's expertise that shapes the DNA of the Cap 10, Cap 20, 21, Cap 230 and 232. Flown by Coco Bessière among others, these aircraft have taken France onto every aerobatic podium for 30 years. Here, today, at the Aéro-Club du Dauphiné, you therefore fly a Cap 10 BK: a Cap 10 B converted with a wood-carbon spar designed by Jean-Marie Klinka.
The brand-new “Integral” from Aura Aero, which began flight testing in July 2020 in Toulouse, was designed in wood and carbon with Jean-Marie Klinka. And finally the Oryx, a superb kit-built two-seater with elegant lines, also benefited from his technical input.
A few links about Jean-Marie Klinka's career (in French):
https://www.aerovfr.com/2021/03/disparition-de-jean-marie-klinka/
http://www.aerovfr.com/2019/06/histoires-entre-autres-de-cap/
http://www.aerovfr.com/2017/09/histoires-de-cap/
https://www.aerobuzz.fr/culture-aero/disparition-de-jean-marie-klinka/
Jean-Marie Klinka passed away on 14 March 2021. The legacy he leaves us is immense.
Respect.
Credit: Toan Nguyen, 23 March 2021