Diego Marín Aguilera
Encyclopedia
Diego Marín Aguilera was a Spanish
inventor who was an early aviation
pioneer. Born in Coruña del Conde
, Marín became the head of his household after his father died. Marín was forced to take care of his seven brothers, and worked as an agricultural
laborer, tending his animals and fields. Marín spent long afternoons and days herding sheep in the surrounding fields.
Marín devised, early on, several labor-saving devices, including a gadget that improved the functionality of a watermill
on the river Arandilla
; another that improved the working of a fulling-mill
; and another used to improve the cutting of marble
in the quarries
of Espejón
. He also came up with a device with which to whip horses during the process of threshing
, and another that made cloth.
s he spotted as he tended his animals and fields: he wanted to build a flying machine
. For six years, he worked on a flying machine of his own invention. The machine was built out of wood, iron, cloth, and feathers. He had gathered eagle and vulture
feathers by setting up special traps on which he placed rotting meat to attract these birds of prey.
He made calculations regarding the weight, volume, size, dimensions of the feathers, as well as the weight of the bodies of these birds. He also carefully studied the movement of their wings and tail and constructed, with the assistance of the local blacksmith
, Joaquín Barbero, a pair of wrought iron
"joints" that moved about like a fan
. He also built stirrups for his feet. The machine also included hand-cranks that controlled the direction of the machine.
, he remarked: "I’m going to Burgo de Osma, and from there to Soria
, and I’ll be back in a couple of days."
Flapping the wings of the glider, he reached a height of “six or seven varas” (approximately 5 or 6 m) and according to his companions, glided for "431 Castilian varas". The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
writes that he flew for “about 360 meters.” Marín managed to cross the river Arandilla
and reached the area known as Heras, where he crash-landed after one of the metal joints broke. Fearing the worst, his companions ran to the spot. Marín was only scratched and bruised, but angry at the blacksmith for failing to weld the joint properly.
Called the “father of aviation” in Spain, the Air Force
dedicated a monument to him that can be found next to the castle where he took flight. The castle itself was on sale for one euro
in 2002 (on the condition that the buyer restore the crumbling building).
Of Marín, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics writes: “It is impossible to determine how much truth there is to the story of Marín, but it seems that he did achieve some gliding flight, surviving after structural failure and a crash landing. Marín, who had no formal scientific education, was endowed with a special technical ingenuity and is a good example of the ageless human aspiration toward flight.”
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
inventor who was an early aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
pioneer. Born in Coruña del Conde
Coruña del Conde
Coruña del Conde is a village and municipality in the southern province of Burgos, Castile and León Spain. The Arandilla River runs through it....
, Marín became the head of his household after his father died. Marín was forced to take care of his seven brothers, and worked as an agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
laborer, tending his animals and fields. Marín spent long afternoons and days herding sheep in the surrounding fields.
Marín devised, early on, several labor-saving devices, including a gadget that improved the functionality of a watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
on the river Arandilla
Arandilla River
The Arandilla is a river found in the southeast of Burgos province, Spain. It runs through the following towns:* Arandilla* Baños de Valdearados* Brazacorta* Coruña del Conde* Fresnillo de las Dueñas* Hontoria de Valdearados* Peñaranda de Duero...
; another that improved the working of a fulling-mill
Fulling
Fulling or tucking or walking is a step in woolen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of cloth to eliminate oils, dirt, and other impurities, and making it thicker. The worker who does the job is a fuller, tucker, or walker...
; and another used to improve the cutting of marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
in the quarries
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
of Espejón
Espejón
Espejón is a municipality located in the province of Soria, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 209 inhabitants....
. He also came up with a device with which to whip horses during the process of threshing
Threshing
Threshing is the process of loosening the edible part of cereal grain from the scaly, inedible chaff that surrounds it. It is the step in grain preparation after harvesting and before winnowing, which separates the loosened chaff from the grain...
, and another that made cloth.
Marín Aguilera's flying machine
Marín was inspired by the eagleEagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s he spotted as he tended his animals and fields: he wanted to build a flying machine
Flying Machine
"Flying Machine" is a two-track, US-only, promotional CD single release by British rock band The Stairs. Both tracks on the single also appear on the album Mexican R'n'B....
. For six years, he worked on a flying machine of his own invention. The machine was built out of wood, iron, cloth, and feathers. He had gathered eagle and vulture
Vulture
Vulture is the name given to two groups of convergently evolved scavenging birds, the New World Vultures including the well-known Californian and Andean Condors, and the Old World Vultures including the birds which are seen scavenging on carcasses of dead animals on African plains...
feathers by setting up special traps on which he placed rotting meat to attract these birds of prey.
He made calculations regarding the weight, volume, size, dimensions of the feathers, as well as the weight of the bodies of these birds. He also carefully studied the movement of their wings and tail and constructed, with the assistance of the local blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
, Joaquín Barbero, a pair of wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
"joints" that moved about like a fan
Fan (implement)
A hand-held fan is an implement used to induce an airflow for the purpose of cooling or refreshing oneself. Any broad, flat surface waved back-and-forth will create a small airflow and therefore can be considered a rudimentary fan...
. He also built stirrups for his feet. The machine also included hand-cranks that controlled the direction of the machine.
Attempted flight
On the night of May 15, 1793, accompanied by the blacksmith Barbero and one of Marín's sisters, Marín placed his glider on the highest part of the castle of Coruña del Conde. In the light of the full moonFull moon
Full moon lunar phase that occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. More precisely, a full moon occurs when the geocentric apparent longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180 degrees; the Moon is then in opposition with the Sun.Lunar eclipses can only occur at...
, he remarked: "I’m going to Burgo de Osma, and from there to Soria
Soria
Soria is a city in north-central Spain, the capital of the province of Soria in the autonomous community of Castile and León. , the municipality has a population of c. 39,500 inhabitants, nearly 40% of the population of the province...
, and I’ll be back in a couple of days."
Flapping the wings of the glider, he reached a height of “six or seven varas” (approximately 5 or 6 m) and according to his companions, glided for "431 Castilian varas". The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is the professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA was founded in 1963 from the merger of two earlier societies: the American Rocket Society , founded in 1930 as the American Interplanetary Society , and the Institute...
writes that he flew for “about 360 meters.” Marín managed to cross the river Arandilla
Arandilla River
The Arandilla is a river found in the southeast of Burgos province, Spain. It runs through the following towns:* Arandilla* Baños de Valdearados* Brazacorta* Coruña del Conde* Fresnillo de las Dueñas* Hontoria de Valdearados* Peñaranda de Duero...
and reached the area known as Heras, where he crash-landed after one of the metal joints broke. Fearing the worst, his companions ran to the spot. Marín was only scratched and bruised, but angry at the blacksmith for failing to weld the joint properly.
Death and legacy
Marín suffered further bad luck. The inhabitants of the town, believing him to be a lunatic, heretic, or a fraud, burned his flapping-wing creation. Marín lost all hope and, disgraced, never attempted flight again. He died at the age of 44 in his native town, six years after his attempted flight. Marín left no documentation regarding his inventions and he was buried at the local church.Called the “father of aviation” in Spain, the Air Force
Spanish Air Force
-The early stages:Hot air balloons had been used with military purposes in Spain as far back as 1896. In 1905, with the help of Alfredo Kindelán, Leonardo Torres y Quevedo directed the construction of the first Spanish dirigible in the Army Military Aerostatics Service, created in 1896 and located...
dedicated a monument to him that can be found next to the castle where he took flight. The castle itself was on sale for one euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
in 2002 (on the condition that the buyer restore the crumbling building).
Of Marín, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics writes: “It is impossible to determine how much truth there is to the story of Marín, but it seems that he did achieve some gliding flight, surviving after structural failure and a crash landing. Marín, who had no formal scientific education, was endowed with a special technical ingenuity and is a good example of the ageless human aspiration toward flight.”