Lot Essay
The Goupy was an advanced design of tractor biplane with both main and tail planes staggered. The first tractor biplane to be seen in England. appeared at the Doncaster "All-French" meeting of 1910, flown by Ladougue. The Ponnier Monoplane was a development of the Hanriot racer and was powered by a 160 h.p. Gnome. Entered for the 1913 Gordon-Bennett contest, flown at Rheims. At that time it was one of the world's fastest aeroplanes. Leon Morane, together with his brother Robert, became a successful pilot and held the altitude record of the time before becoming a manufacturer. He joined Saulnier as a partner in 1911 and together the two men produced an aircraft design - the Morane-Saulnier - which was credited with being the most advanced design at the 1911 Paris Salon. A Schmitt flown by French pilot Garaix set a record by staying in the air with seven passengers and attaining a height of 5,400ft., then captured the world height record with eight passengers, all in 1914.