Jacob Christian Hansen-Ellehammer was born in 1871, in Bakkebølle, Denmark. He trained as a watchmaker, then served with the Royal Danish Navy and later moved to Copenhagen, where he worked as a mechanic. In 1898, he established his own company Ellehammers mekaniske Etablissement and started to repair typewriters and other small machines.
In 1896, Ellehamer designed his first aviation engine and then began with development of a heavier-than-air flying apparatus, later known as Ellehammer monoplane.
On 12th September 1906, according to Ellehammer and a few witnesses, the aircraft managed to fly on a distance of forty-two metres, at altitude of 0.75 metre. However, the flight was not officially observed, therefore it was not recognized by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI).
In the next few years, Ellehammer continued his aviation development. His subsequent aircraft were more and more advanced. In 1908, he made a flight on a distance of 300 metres – a great aviation achievement at that time.
On 28th June 1908, Ellehammer took part in a competition organised by Kieler Verkehrsvereins association. He performed a short flight on a distance of approximately fifty metres which, although very short, became the first officially witnessed performance of motor powered, heavier-than-air aircraft in Germany.
Full story here.
Cover photo: Jacob Ellehammer with Ellehamer IV aircraft, 1908 (Wikipedia, Public Domain)
