Jacob Christian Hansen-Ellehammer was born in 1871, in Bakkebølle, Denmark. He trained as a watchmaker, then served with the Royal Danish Navy before moving 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 addidion, Ellehammer´s talent for mechanics and electronics brought the Danish inventor several international patents, such as a beer dispenser, a machine for automatic manufacturing of cigarettes, a device called ´Kinematograf´, an X-ray device, a music machine based on Edison´s phonograph, lamps for light therapy, two types of an air-cooled radial engine and, finally, a motorcycle.
His first aircraft engine was designed already in 1896. Next, he began developing a heavier-than-air flying apparatus that finally led to creation of Ellehammer monoplane. According to the Danish engineer himself, on 12 September 1906, the aeroplane made a flight on a distance of forty-two metres, at an altitude of 0.75 metre.
However, the flight was not officially observed, therefore it was not recognised by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). Shortly after, the honour of the first aircraft flight in Europe was given to Alberto Santos-Dumont.
In the next few years, Ellehammer continued his aviation development and created some more advanced aircraft. In 1908, he made a flight on a distance of 300 metres – a great aviation achievement at that time.
In June of 1908, Kieler Verkehrsvereins association organised, within the Kiel Week sports event, a competition of heavier-than-air flying machines. Interestingly, Ellehammer turned out to be the only participant of that contest, as his competitor, the German aviation pioneer Otto Hermann Fritsche, died in a car accident shortly before the event.
On 28 June, Ellehammer managed to perform a short flight on a distance of approximately fifty metres. Regrettably, his aircraft was badly damaged during the flight and not able to fly anymore. Both the association and spectators were disappointed with Ellehammer´s performance and, as a result, he was given prize money reduced from the initial 5,000 to only 3,000 German marks.
Although very short, the Ellehammer´s flight became the first officially witnessed performance of motor-powered, heavier-than-air aircraft in Germany.
In later years, Ellehammer developed a triplane and a rotorcraft. He also worked on a disc-rotor configuration for a helicopter.
In 1916, after a flying accident he was involved in, Ellehammer retired from further aviation development. He then focused on mechanical engineering, especially engine and pump construction.
Jacob Christian Hansen-Ellehammer died on 20 May 1946, in Copenhagen, at the age of 74.
Cover photo: Jacob Ellehammer with Ellehamer IV aircraft, 1908 (Wikipedia, Public Domain)
