Vecihi Hurkus

Vecihi Hürkuş 1896-1969

A lonely aviation pioneer in Turkey

Vecihi Hürkuş designed and built the first airplane in Turkey. He founded first Airline company in Turkey.

Vecihi Hürkuş is Turkey's most celebrated aviator, who died on 16 July 1969, on the day Apollo 11 flew to the Moon.

He was the first Turk to:

1. shoot down an enemy aircraft on the Caucasus front during World War I,
2. fly a twin-engine aircraft (1917 - Caucasian Front - captured Russian Caudron G.4),
3. manufacture a propeller from scratch (1918 - Istanbul - Nieuport 17 captured from the Russians),
4. produce adhesive from gelatin to glue fabric to aircraft wings (Turkish War of Independence),
5. first to land at İzmir Seydiköy Airfield during the Turkish War of Independence, occupying it single-handedly. This was considered to be the final flight of the war,
6. fly a passenger aircraft (1923 - Edirne - 9 passengers with an abandoned Italian Caproni Ca.5 aka Ca.57 or Breda M-1),
7. construct a military aircraft from scratch (1924 - Izmir - Vecihi K-VI, first flight - January 28, 1925),
8. build a speedboat (1930 - Kadıköy, Istanbul - Vecihi-SK-X),
9. build a civilian aircraft (1930 - Kadıköy - Vecihi K-XIV)
10. establish a civilian flying school (April 21, 1932 - V.S.T.M. Vecihi Sivil Tayyare Mektebi - Kadıköy),
11. construct a seaplane (1933 - Kadıköy, Vecihi S-XVI),
12. train the first female Turkish aviator (1933 - Bedriye Bacı (Gökmen) Kadıköy, Istanbul)
13. construct the country's first gliders (US–4 ve PS–2), while playing a pivotal role in the establishment of Turkish Bird (1935-1936 - Etimesgut - Ankara),
14. receive a diploma abroad in aircraft engineering (February 27, 1939 - Weimar Engineering School, Germany),
15. establish a privately funded aviation publication (1948 - Kanatlılar Dergisi)
16. establish a private airline company in Turkey (November 29, 1954 – 1960 Yeşilköy - Hürkuş Havayolları transported passengers and cargo),
17. conduct aerial surveys for the Mining Research Institute (1961–1966).

If you have time, you should read more about this incredible human being on his Wikipedia entry.

Credit :    Robarta Sukan

Sharing is Caring & Helping Eachother

You May Also Like These