Was there really a street named after seaplanes? Yes indeed this is Rue Donnet Lévêque. It commemorates the Donnet-Lévêque company. They were pioneers in early 20th-century aviation.
The firm Donnet-Lévêque began in 1912. French designer Denhaut and Swiss engineer Donnet collaborated. They created a two-seat tandem flying boat. Denhaut’s earlier design influenced it. Levasseur had built that design.
This machine became the Donnet-Lévêque flying boat Type A. The company formed to produce Denhaut’s designs. The original Type A had a single-bay wing warper. It used a 50hp Gnome engine. Later B and C models featured ailerons. They had 70hp and 80hp Gnome engines. The C model also had a larger wing. It could carry three people.
In 1912 the Type A won the Belgian Coupe du Roi for seaplanes. F.B.A. Franco-British Aviation later produced it under license. They called it the FBA Lévêque or FBA Type A. FBA types had a normal boat-style prow. This differed from the blunt nose of the Donnet-Lévêque.
The FBA Type B and C were larger two-bay aircraft. They featured side-by-side seating. Austro-Hungary bought four Donnet-Lévêque aircraft in 1912. They acquired two Type As and two Type Cs for evaluation. All entered service in January 1913.
Impressed Austro-Hungary copied them. Three were built in 1913. They had Gnome engines enlarged fuselages and longer wingspans. Four more followed in 1914.
In Argenteuil the Donnet-Lévêque company left its mark. It was located on the banks of the Seine. It was here that several seaplanes were created in 1912. André Beaumont technical director designed the first seaplane. It was an amphibious seaplane.
The Donnet-Lévêque C became the model of choice. It was equipped with ailerons and powered by 80 hp. In 1912 it won the King of Belgium Cup. The device was initially designed as a land and sea plane.
The Donnet-Lévêque design influenced others. Austro-Hungarian seaplanes showed design similarities. Macchi also copied them for its small seaplanes.
Today a replica of the Donnet-Lévêque C exists. It is motorized by a Le Rhône of 80 hp. The replica recently arrived on the Ardenay plateau. It is exhibited in the Salis Flying Museum in Cerny.
So as you walk this street remember innovation. Remember the early days of flight. Remember Donnet-Lévêque pioneers of the skies. Their legacy lives on in aviation history.