 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (February 2012) |
| Demoiselle | |
|---|---|
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| Type 20 Demoiselle | |
| Role | Experimental aircraft |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Clément-Bayard Darracq |
| Designer | Alberto Santos-Dumont |
| First flight | 1907 |
The Santos-Dumont Demoiselle is a series of aircraft built in France by the Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont. They were light-weight monoplanes with a wire-braced wing mounted above an open-framework fuselage built from bamboo. The pilot's seat was below the wing and between the main wheels of the undercarriage. The rear end of the boom carried a tailwheel and a cruciform tail. The name is a contraction of mademoiselle and is a synonym for "jeune fille"—young girl or woman—but also the common name in French for a Damselfly.