Edvard Rusjan
Encyclopedia
Edvard Rusjan was a Slovene flight pioneer and airplane constructor. He died in an airplane crash in Belgrade
.
, then the major port of Austria-Hungary
(now in Italy
). His parents were both natives from the Gorizia and Gradisca
region: his father, Franc Rusjan, was a Slovene, and his mother, Grazia Cabas, was Friulan
. Rusjan spent his childhood and adolescence in Gorizia
, in the suburb of Rafut
.
In his youth, he became a professional bicyclist, and designed his own bicycle models, together with his brother Josip Rusjan. He was also member of the Sokol
gymnastic association.
He made his first flight near Gorizia, on 25 November 1909 in Eda I, a biplane of his own design. The height of the flight was 2 m (6.6 ft), whereas the distance was 60 m (196.9 ft). On 29 November 1909, he flew at the altitude of 12 m (39.4 ft) and 600 m (1,968.5 ft) far. The original design was followed by several improved versions. He moved to a hangar near Miren
south of Gorizia.
Rusjan first attended a public flight event with the model EDA V in March 1910, near Miren. In June of the same year, he tried the next model, EDA V, which enabled him to fly 40 meters above the ground and overfly the whole Miren Field.
The brothers Rusjan ran out of finance for the construction of EDA VII. In 1910, Edvard Rusjan met the Croatia
n businessman Mihajlo Merćep, who offered him financial help for his endeavors. The same year, the brothers Rusjan moved to Zagreb
, Croatia, when they started a project of airplane construction on larger scale. In September 1910, they constructed a new model.
In January 1911, Edvard and Josip Rusjan went on a promotional tour through the Balkan cities. During a flight in Belgrade
, Serbia
, his airplane's wing broke, and he crashed near Kalemegdan
fortress. His funeral was attended by a large crowd of about 14,000 people.
He is buried at the New Cemetery, lot 15, grave 343.
are named after him. The commercial and business center Eda Center in Nova Gorica
is dedicated to Rusjan's memory.
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
.
Biography
Rusjan was born in TriesteTrieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, then the major port of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
(now in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
). His parents were both natives from the Gorizia and Gradisca
Gorizia and Gradisca
The County of Gorizia and Gradisca was a Habsburg county in Central Europe, in what is now a multilingual border area of Italy and Slovenia. It was named for its two major urban centers, Gorizia and Gradisca d'Isonzo.-Province of the Habsburg Empire:...
region: his father, Franc Rusjan, was a Slovene, and his mother, Grazia Cabas, was Friulan
Friulians
Friulians or Furlans are a linguistic minority living in Italy and elsewhere. About 530,000 of them live in the provinces of Udine and Pordenone and in parts of Gorizia and Venice. Their language, the Friulian language, is the second largest minority language in Italy. About 170,000 Friulians live...
. Rusjan spent his childhood and adolescence in Gorizia
Gorizia
Gorizia is a town and comune in northeastern Italy, in the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. It is located at the foot of the Julian Alps, bordering Slovenia. It is the capital of the Province of Gorizia, and it is a local center of tourism, industry, and commerce. Since 1947, a twin...
, in the suburb of Rafut
Pristava, Nova Gorica
Pristava , also known as Rafut, is one of the four suburbs of the town of Nova Gorica in the Goriška region of western Slovenia ....
.
In his youth, he became a professional bicyclist, and designed his own bicycle models, together with his brother Josip Rusjan. He was also member of the Sokol
Sokol
The Sokol movement is a youth sport movement and gymnastics organization first founded in Czech region of Austria-Hungary, Prague, in 1862 by Miroslav Tyrš and Jindřich Fügner...
gymnastic association.
He made his first flight near Gorizia, on 25 November 1909 in Eda I, a biplane of his own design. The height of the flight was 2 m (6.6 ft), whereas the distance was 60 m (196.9 ft). On 29 November 1909, he flew at the altitude of 12 m (39.4 ft) and 600 m (1,968.5 ft) far. The original design was followed by several improved versions. He moved to a hangar near Miren
Miren
Mireń is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Pionki, within Radom County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately south-east of Pionki, east of Radom, and south-east of Warsaw.-References:...
south of Gorizia.
Rusjan first attended a public flight event with the model EDA V in March 1910, near Miren. In June of the same year, he tried the next model, EDA V, which enabled him to fly 40 meters above the ground and overfly the whole Miren Field.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n businessman Mihajlo Merćep, who offered him financial help for his endeavors. The same year, the brothers Rusjan moved to Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Croatia, when they started a project of airplane construction on larger scale. In September 1910, they constructed a new model.
In January 1911, Edvard and Josip Rusjan went on a promotional tour through the Balkan cities. During a flight in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, his airplane's wing broke, and he crashed near Kalemegdan
Kalemegdan
Belgrade Fortress , represent old citadel and Kalemegdan Park on the confluence of the River Sava and Danube, in an urban area of modern Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Stari Grad...
fortress. His funeral was attended by a large crowd of about 14,000 people.
He is buried at the New Cemetery, lot 15, grave 343.
Legacy
The Maribor Edvard Rusjan Airport and asteroid 19633 Rusjan19633 Rusjan
19633 Rusjan is a main-belt asteroid. It is named after Edvard Rusjan, the first Slovene airplane constructor and aviator....
are named after him. The commercial and business center Eda Center in Nova Gorica
Nova Gorica
Nova Gorica ; 21,082 ; 31,000 ) is a town and a municipality in western Slovenia, on the border with Italy...
is dedicated to Rusjan's memory.
Sources
- Sitar, Sandi dr. Letalstvo in Slovenci I., Ljubljana, Borec, 1985.
- Kladnik Darinka, Zgodovina letalstva na Slovenskem: od začetkov do današnjih dni, Ljubljana, 2008.