Maurice Mallet
Photo: Agence Rol, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons11

Maurice Mallet

French balloonist1

Maurice Mallet (1861–1926) was a cofounder of the company later called Zodiac Aerospace.2

From Wikipedia’s article on Maurice Mallet (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Apr 17, 1861, died Jul 27, 1926.1

About

In 1896, Mallet joined with Henry de La Vaulx and other associates to launch the company Mallet, Mélandri et de Pitray. The company made gas balloons for sport and tourism. In 1899, it was renamed Ateliers de Constructions Aéronautiques Maurice Mallet. The Mallet workshops prospered thanks to regular orders from the Aéro-Club de France, the French flying club.

In 1902–3, Mallet collaborated with Victor Tatin to construct the dirigible La Ville de Paris for Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe. It was not successful and Deutsch de la Meurthe sponsored a later more successful one with the same name.

Mallet held patents for inventions related to dirigibles.

Around 1908, the company became Société française des ballons dirigeables (i.e. French airship company) then in 1911 the company changed its name to become Zodiac. In 1909, the name Zodiac (with an English spelling) appeared in the name Société française de ballons dirigeables et d'aviation Zodiac (i.e. Zodiac French airship and aviation company), followed in 1911 by Société Zodiac, anciens Établissements aéronautiques Maurice Mallet (i.e. Zodiac Company, formerly Maurice Mallet aeronautical establishments).

From Wikipedia’s article on Maurice Mallet, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Companies

Career

Occupation: entrepreneur, inventor, balloonist.5

Personal life

  • BornApr 17, 1861, Paris6
  • DiedJul 27, 1926, 7th arrondissement of Paris7
  • CitizenshipFrance8

Awards

  • Date not recordedKnight of the Legion of Honour9
  • Date not recordedOfficier de l'Instruction publique9

Sources

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