Balassian de Manawas

   At the Concours de Securite of 1914, the monoplane designed by Balassian de Manawas was one of the curiosities. Thinking to improve the stability of his machine, especially in the case of engine failure, he arranged the wings of his "avion planeur" to be attached to the fuselage with springs so as to vary the position of the center of lift: the wings could move fore and aft automatically or under pilot control - as he claimed it occurred with gliding birds. The fuselage consisted only of 2 spars with a fabric seat slung between them; the large tank mounted on the same spars behind the motor provided little protection against the wind, but completely blocked forward vision. The springing of the undercarriage was unique: each wheel was set into a horizontal frame pivoting on the steel tube axle, the wheels forward and below the axle, with a long horn extending backward from each frame, the end hung from 2 heavy shock cords attached to the underside of the fuselage. Damaged during the qualification tests, it did not participate in the contest.
  
   (Span: 11 m; length: 6 m: empty weight: 225 kg; 50 hp Gnome with Chauviere Integrale propeller)