Marin Aguilera, Diego (1757 - 1799)

Shepherd and Spanish inventor, mainly known for being the inventor of a flying machine.

Diego Marín Aguilera was born in a family of humble shepherds. Although he had never studied he had a natural intelligence that allowed him to develop inventions that contributed to improving the lives of his neighbours. Amount them are included a device for improving the operation of the mill that still stands on the Arandilla River in Burgos, one for the improvement of the “batanes”, a kind of water mills used to compact tissue, and another to cut the marble of the Espejón quarries in Soria.

Inspired by the movement of the wings and tail of the birds of prey, Diego Marín Aguilera worked on a flying machine of his own invention for 6 years. He made the sizing of his machine based on the size of feathers, as well as the weight of the eagles and vultures he hunted. The machine was built out of wood, iron, cloth and feathers. It was provided of 2 joints, which worked as wings and could be move like a fan, and a tail made to the machine the capacity of controlling the direction.

On the night of May 15, 1793, Diego Martín Aguilera threw himself on his glider from the top of the castle of Coruña del Conde. Flapping the wings of the machine he reached between 5 and 6 metres of height and could cover a distance of approximately of 300 before crash-landing because of the break of one of the metal joints. Unfortunately the flying machine was burned by the inhabitants of the town who believed Diego Marín Aguilera was a lunatic, heretic or a fraud.

Orthographe également utilisé:
Marin Aguilera, Diego

Curriculum Vitae

* 1757	Burgos, Spain	Né
† 1799	Burgos, Spain	Décédé

Collections

		Les temps modernes, 1500-1780
		Révolution industrielle, 1780-1850

Permanent links

DMG-Lib		https://www.dmg-lib.org/dmglib/handler?biogr=6598004
Europeana		http://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/2020801/dmglib_handler_biogr_6598004.html

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Marin Aguilera, Diego (1757 - 1799)