1877-1965 |
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from an old newspaper Collection of Jean-Pierre Lauwers |
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"before the departure."at the Spa-Malchamps aerodrome Spa Aviation Week, September 23 until October 5, 1909 from the original postcard Collection of Jean-Pierre Lauwers |
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at the Spa-Malchamps aerodrome Spa Aviation Week, September 23 until October 5, 1909 from the original postcard Collection of Jean-Pierre Lauwers |
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Collection of Dave Lam, 10-10-05 |
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via email from Dave Lam, 8-14-04 |
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Collection of Jean-Pierre Lauwers |
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If you use "Roger Sommer" +aviation, you will find about 40 links. About half of them are in French, but a machine translation is usually available. |
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Collection of Jean-Pierre Lauwers |
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JTC Moore-Brabazon and Leon Delagrange You will also see the image of a poster of "First Aviation Meeting in England. To go directly to this page, click on: |
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Collection of Jean-Pierre Lauwers |
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Via email from Jim Lambert I know that he lived to a good age, I believe that he died in the early 1970s. I know that his son was a very famous car racing driver who was killed in the French Grand Prix in the 1950s. He was a designer of several aircraft, two monoplanes and three bi-plane types, I know that he worked as an aicraft designer for the Humber company in England. I think that this man's humility, prevented his inclusion in history, I think that his story, if it can be uncovered, via the internet, will prove to be an interesting one. As an example, it seems that the Cierva autogyro, used a Sommer monoplane fuselage, including the Le-Rhone rotary, so some missing links may be connected. On a visit to the Jean Salis aerodrome south of Paris in 1999 ( to fly my 1/3 scale Blackburn monoplane) I was told of Sommer whilst chatting with the pilot of a full size Bleriot replica. I am almost at the completion of a 1/4 full size radio controlled flying replica of Sommer mono, using material supplied by Arizona Scale Aircrafters. I will send you a copy of the small but reasonably detailed original Sommer drawing which they sent me. Thanks again.... Jim Lambert His French License Was # 29, 15 Jan 1910. He was born 4 Aug 1877 at Pierrepont. |
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Builder was the Albatros (plane) Werke GMBH at Johannisthal-Berlin.(Germany) JPL Collection of Jean-Pierre Lauwers Click for Full Size |
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Collection of Sèbastien Giot |
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"This picture was taken in Autumn 1909 in SPA for the "Quinzaine of the Aviation. There is a museum dedicated to him in France on the Airfield Of Sedan-Douzy (LFSJ) Northern France next to Reims. Photo & text courtesy of Sèbastien Giot |
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The Daily Times Chattanooga, Tennessee, May 3, 1912, Transcribed by Bob Davis - 8-13-04 Roger Sommer, while testing a monoplane built by him today, tried to glide, and when landing fell and was dangerously injured. |
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Special Collections Wright State University Libraries This outstanding website includes 25 brief biographies of aviators of the period, including Roger Sommer, and their associated postcards. Full size images of the postcards are available and are beautiful. To access the introduction, just click on: I think you will want to browse the entire exhibit, page by page. I found it to be a very valuable addition to the online community. |
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Built and photographed by John Hovell |
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The recent performance of the Sommer monoplane, piloted by Bathiat, has directed the attention of
designers to this machine, the particulars of which are as follows: Spread, 29 feet
21/2 inches, with a length over all of 24 feet. The area of the main planes is 172 square feet. The weight of the machine in flight order,
less pilot and supplies, is 570 pounds; when fitted with a 50-horsepower Gnome the total useful load is about 440 pounds, making the
total load over 1,000 pounds. This gives a loading per square foot of 5.8 pounds. It was in a machine of this type, but slightly reduced,
that Bathiat made his world's record for 200 and 300 kilometers, using a 70-horsepower Gnome motor. The speed attained being in
excess of 93 miles per hour. Courtesy of John Hovell |
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courtesy of LE FANA DE L'AVIATION Michel Bénichou Chief Editor There is a small museum, Le Musée des Débuts de l'Aviation, with a copy of his 1910 biplane in the village of Douzy, and many 1/4 models, near Sedan, in north-eastern France. The museum offers for sale a short biography of Roger Sommer which I wrote many years ago. I am sorry, but I do not know at what price. Editor's Note: If you need a machine translation of the museum website, you can go to: You will find the entry for The Museum of the Beginnings of Aviation about half way down the page. You will see a picture of the replica of Sommer's plane. |
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Via email from Paul van Daalen - 9-28-03 In the summer of 1999 I spent a holiday in Northern France, which we chose then because the Moon's shadow would pass over us in that period. We have visited the little Roger Sommer museum near Douzy, admiring the beautifully built replica of Sommer's machine. It is the one with the rounded ailerons. Fascinating was the enormous postcard collection displayed there. It showed how the general public was involved in the aviation demonstrations at Reims and other places.. What you don't mention is the famous family that Roger Sommer descended from. He's from the village of Mouzon, 10 km South-East of Douzy. The Sommer factory produces felt in all varieties. I was familiar with the name before that holiday, but was surprised to see that Mouzon has an interesting felt museum. We went there after discovering that "feutre" means felt. You learn how felt is being made and that it has more applications than you can imagine. The Sommer family was rather disappointed that Roger went into something as stupid as aviation, but he returned after the World War and modernised the manufacture. Here is a website concerning the family: Paul van Daalen Civil Aviation Authority The Netherlands |
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Editor's Note: If you have any more information on this pioneer aviator please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper |
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