Diego Marín Aguilera: Difference between revisions

'''Diego Marín Aguilera''' (1757–1799)<ref name="bird man">{{cite web|url= http://www.google.com/translate?hl=en&ie=UTF8&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alpoma.net%2Ftecob%2F%3Fp%3D320| title=Diego Marín, the "bird man" Burgos |date=January 18, 2006|publisher=Tecnologia Obsoleta|accessdate=August 28, 2013}}</ref><ref name="diego">{{cite web|url= http://www.google.com/translate?hl=en&ie=UTF8&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.soportal.p.ht%2Flaribera%2Fpersonaj%2Fdiegomar.html| title=Diego Marín Aguilera|date=|publisher=The Soportal|accessdate=August 28, 2013}}</ref> was a [[Spain|Spanish]] inventor who was an early aviation pioneer. Born in [[Coruña del Conde]], Marín became the head of his household after his father died. and Marín was forcedhad to take care of his seven brothers, and worked as an agricultural laborer, tending his animals and fields. Marín spent long afternoons and days herding sheep in the surrounding fields.<ref name="bird man"/><ref name="diego"/>

MarínEarly devisedon, earlyMarin on,devised several labor-saving devices, including a gadget that improved the functionality of a [[watermill]] on the [[Arandilla River|Arandilla river]];<ref name="man who flew">{{cite web|url= http://www.google.com/translate?hl=en&ie=UTF8&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fburgospedia1.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F19%2Fdiego-marin-aguilera-el-primer-hombre-que-volo%2F| title=Marín Aguilera Diego – The first man who flew |date=January 19, 2010|publisher=Yague Garces at Burgospedia|accessdate=August 28, 2013}}</ref> anotherone that improved the working of a [[Fulling|fulling-mill]]; and another used to improve the cutting of [[marble]] in the [[quarry|quarries]] of [[Espejón]].<ref name="bird man"/> He also came up with a device with whichused to whip horses during the process of [[threshing]], and another that made cloth pads.<ref name="bird man"/>

Marín was inspired by the [[eagle]]s he spotted while tending his animals and fields: he wanted to build a [[flying machine]]. For six years, he worked on one of his ownhe inventionsinvented.<ref name="diego"/> The machine was built out of wood, iron, cloth, and feathers.<ref name="bird man"/><ref name="man who flew"/> He gathered eagle and [[vulture]] [[feathers]] by setting up special traps on which he placed rotting meat to attract these birds.<ref name="diego"/>

Marín made calculations regarding the weight, volume, size, dimensions of the feathers, as well as the weight of the bodies of these birds.<ref name="diego"/> He also carefully studied the movement of their wings and tail and constructed, with the assistance of the local [[blacksmith]], Joaquín Barbero, constructed a pair of [[wrought iron]] "joints" that moved about like a [[Fan (implement)|fan]]. He also built [[stirrups]] for his feet and hand-cranks that controlled the direction of the machine.<ref name="bird man"/>

On the night of May 15, 1793,<ref name="bird man"/><ref name="diego"/><ref name="man who flew"/> accompanied by the blacksmith Barbero and one of Marín's sisters, Marín placed his glider on the highest part of the castle of Coruña del Conde. In the light of the [[full moon]], he remarked (roughly): "I'm going to [[Burgo de Osma-Ciudad de Osma|Burgo de Osma]], and from there to [[Soria]], and I'll be back in a couple of days."<ref name="diego"/>

Flapping the wings of the glider, he reached a height of "six or seven ''[[Spanish customary units#Vara|varas]]''" (approximately 5 or 6 m) and according to his companions, glided for "431 Castilian ''varas''",<ref name="diego"/> or aroundapproximately 300<ref name="bird man"/> to 500 yards.<ref name="man who flew"/> <!--The [[American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics]] writes that he flew for “about 360 meters.” link dead <ref name="aiaa">{{cite web|url=http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=448 |title=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics – History – Spain |publisher=Aiaa.org |date=January 18, 2012 }}</ref>--> Marín managed to cross the river [[Arandilla River|Arandilla]] and reached the area known as Heras, where he crash-landed after one of the metal joints broke. Fearing the worst, his companions ran to the spot. Marín was only scratched and bruised, but angry at the blacksmith for failing to weld the joint properly.

Marín suffered further bad luck. The inhabitants of the town, believing him to be a lunatic, heretic, or a fraud, burned his "demonic" flapping-wing creation.<ref name="bird man"/> Marín lost all hope and, feeling disgraced and deeply depressed,<ref name="bird man"/><ref name="man who flew"/> never attempted flight again. He died at the age of 44 in his native town,<ref name="man who flew"/> six years after his attempted flight.<ref name="diego"/> Marín left no documentation regarding his inventions and he was buried at the local church.

CalledNow called the “father of aviation” in Spain, the [[Spanish Air Force]] dedicated a monument to him that canis be foundlocated next to the castle where he took flight.<ref>{{cite web|author=c |url=http://www.terra.es/personal/soportal/laribera/coruna.html |title=Coruña del Conde, Clunia, Diego Marín Aguilera |publisher=Terra.es }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.panoramio.com/photo/21505 |title=Photo of Coruña del Conde |publisher=Panoramio }}</ref> The castle was on sale for [[Euro|€]]1 in 2002, on the condition that the buyer restore the crumbling building.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/monitoring/media_reports/1855623.stm |title=MEDIA REPORTS &#124; Castle in Spain going for a song |publisher=BBC News |date=March 8, 2002 }}</ref>

Of Marín, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics writes: "It is impossible to determine how much truth there is to the story of Marín, but it seems that he did achieve some gliding flight, surviving after structural failure and a crash landing. Marín, who had no formal scientific education, was endowed with a special technical ingenuity and is a good example of the ageless human aspiration toward flight."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aiaa.org/Secondary.aspx?id=370|title=Spain:History of Flight from Around the World|publisher=The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|date=May 14, 2014}}</ref> They credit him with a flight of approximately 360 meters.