BRAZILIAN AVIATION HISTORY: THE UNIVERSITY OF

SÃO PAULO CASE

Prof. Fernando Martini Catalano
Aeronautical Engineering Department, São Carlos Engineering School, University of São Paulo

Keywords: Aviation History, aeronautical engineering

Abstract designed and flew his first balloon called Brazil

Fig 1.
In 1934 the Institute of technological Research
(IPT) was created as a successor of the Materials
Testing Laboratory (attached to the Polytechnic
School of the University of São Paulo). The
participation of the State of São Paulo's IPT in
the development of technological and
manufacturing research in the field of aviation
and the aeronautical industry was initiated. The
IPT Aeronautical Section created as an evolution
of the timber section has designed and built 17
aircraft from 1935 to 1956 including single-
engine and twin-engine aircrafts and jet. Also,
designed and built more than 750 propellers. Fig. 1 Santos Dumont first balloon the Brazil. [4]
When the activities in the IPT stopped in 1956, After three more balloons design he turned
Romeu Corsini after working in the São Paulo his attention to designing and flying airships or
Air Transport Department until 1970 moved to dirigibles and three months later after his first
São Carlos Engineering School of University of ascension with Brazil balloon he designed and
São Paulo where he created the Industrial flew the project number 1 his first airship with an
Research and Improvement Center (IPAI) to engine designed by himself.
support among others the aeronautical design
and research. The group of teachers created with
the actions of Romeo Corsini, understanding that
the formation of human resources was essential
for the continuity of Brazilian aeronautical
engineering which resulted the creation of the
Aeronautical Engineering course at EESC-USP
in 2002. This work will detail the history of the
contribution of the University of Sao Paulo in
Brazilian aeronautical engineering and
aerospace industry.

1 Introduction.
Santos Dumont a Brazilian aviation pioneer
went to Paris in 1882 to study mechanics,
chemistry, physics and electricity but soon was
very interested in ballooning and in 1898 he Fig. 2 Santos Dumont first airship the No. 1.

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In 1898 the Aéro-Club de France was founded After that, he designed eight more airships
and, in 1900, organized the Grand Prix Deutsch featuring the No. 9, named as "La Baladeuse".
de La Meurthe. The one hundred thousand Franc Dirigible No.9 was built to serve as a personal
prize was to be given to the first dirigible which, transport (he skipped No.8 due to superstition).
starting from Saint-Cloud, went around the Eiffel Very small, 12 meters in length, 5 meters in
Tower and back to the starting point in less than height, it could land on small spaces and became
30 minutes known as the flying chariot.
Between 1898 and 1901 he built four more
different dirigibles, powered with internal
combustion engines, naming them No.2 to No.5.
He tried to win the Grand Prix Deutsch de La
Meurthe with No. 5 which was specially design
for that purpose. He did not succeed and after
modifications on project of the No. 5, he
construct the No. 6. In October, 1901, he
summoned the jurors of the Aeroclub of France
and with his airship No. 6 he won the Deutsch de
La Meurthe prize, proving the air navigation was
possible Figures 3 and 4 show the No.6 airship
and the trajectory of the flight.

Fig. 5 The airship No. 9. [4]

Santos Dumont last airship was the No. 14 as a
fast, highly maneuverable aircraft. To motivate
further advances in aeronautics the Aéro-Club de
France instituted, in the end of 1905, a 1,500
Franc prize for the first aeronaut to realize a 100-
meter-long flight on an airplane taking-off by its
own means from level ground (a maximum 10%
slope). At the same time Ernest Archdeacon, club
president, offered 3,000 Franc for a 25-meter-
long flight. Santos-Dumont and his assistants
Fig. 3 The airship No.6 taking off to win the Deutsch de then started to work on a biplane aircraft based
La Meurthe prize. [2]
on Hargraves' box kite. In 23th October of 1906
After testing the model with the airship No.14 as

Fig. 4 Air navigation first confirmed with the No.6. [4]

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 BRAZILIAN AVIATION HISTORY: THE UNIVERSITY OF SÃO PAULO CASE

a hybrid aircraft he named the aircraft only as 14- first flight of the No. 19 Demoiselle in November
Bis. He made the first complete powered flight in 1907 and Fig. 8 shows the Demoiselle No.20 in
Europe with his 14-Bis canard box winged flight in 1910.
aircraft winning the Archdeacon price. Santos
Dumont flew a complete flight of over 60 meters
using an engine of 24 HP. Figure 4 shows the
event which was registered by the aeroclub de
France.
Fig. 8 First flight of the No. Demoiselle in 1907. [4]

Fig. 6 First complete flight of the 14Bis in 23 October

1906. [4]
Later in 12 November 1906 Santos-Dumont
with a 14Bis with ailerons and a 50Hp engine, set
the first world record recognized by the
Federation Aeronautique Internationale, by Fig. 9 The Demoiselle in flight 1910. [4]
flying 220 meters in 21.5 seconds. Figure 7
shows the moment of the taking off (note the Back in Brazil curiously, a Frenchman
Bleriot model in the back ground). Dimitri de Lavaud developed the first aircraft in
the Brazilian territory in 1910 the Sao Paulo
aircraft and the Avelar in 1914. Santos Dumont's
legacy was definitively established in Brazil.
Santos Dumont quit aeronautical actives in 1911
and died in 1932. Two years later in 1934 the
Institute of technological Research (IPT) was
created as a successor of the Materials Testing
Laboratory (attached to the Polytechnic School
of the University of São Paulo). The participation
of the State of São Paulo's IPT in the
development of technological and manufacturing
research in the field of aviation and the
Fig. 7 Taking off for the second flight of the 14Bis, 12 aeronautical industry was initiated. At the
November 1906. [4] beginning of 1934, the IPT Wood Division was
Santos-Dumont's final design were the in charge of controlling the material for the
Demoiselle monoplanes (Nos. 19 to 22). These construction of gliders in the Paulista Glider Club
aircraft were used by Dumont for personal workshop. With this, the engineers and
transport and there are considered the definitive technicians were able to apply the results
aircraft design, produced in series by the Clement obtained in the research with Brazilian
Bayard company, used as a trainer for European hardwoods. Thus, the development of IPT with
air forces and more than 200 were built in USA aeronautics and aviation began simultaneously
from drawing donated by Santos Dumont to the on three fronts, all linked to the application of
Popular Mechanics Magazine. Fig. 8 Shows the national wood in the manufacture of aircraft:

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research and testing of wood for application in aeronautics section of IPT became an important
aircraft, material control, design and construction partner of the civil aviation companies and
of gliders and Airplanes as well their gradually became a consultant to aviation
maintenance [3]. Mauricio Brotero was one of companies such as the São Paulo Airline and
the main researchers and established technical Airline Services Cruzeiro do Sul.
specifications of the national wood specifically
Freijó, a wood considered better than the spruce.
Brotero remained as head of the aeronautical
division of IPT until 1947 when he was replaced
by eng. Romeu Corsini. The period was very
active for IPT when its staff included engineers
as Brotero, Corsini, Clay Presgrave de Amaral,
Orthon Hoover and many others, most of them
became influent in the Brazilian industry. The
IPT Aeronautics Section created as an evolution
of the timber section has designed and built 17
aircraft from 1935 to 1956 including single-
engine and twin-engine aircrafts and jet. The first
aircraft designed in 1937 and built at IPT in 1938
was the IPT-0 Bichinho (small animal),

Fig. 11 IPT workshop, gliders construction. [3]

Fig. 10 The IPT-0 Bichinho in flight 1840. [3]

The IPT-0 made use of the aeronautical plywood
and hard and light wood such as the “freijó”
Cordia goeldiana Huber. Fig. 11 and 12 show the
IPT workshop for aircraft construction and
testing. The aeronautical Division of IPT was
involved with all aspects of aeronautical
engineering besides the aircraft design such as
Fig. 12 IPT workshop, loading testing. [3]
training pilots with gliders (designed by IPT)
selling plywood for aeronautical construction IPT was highly involved in the development
(for both military and civil manufactures) as well of Brazilian aeronautical industry one of the most
as propeller design construction and testing. In significant example was the agreement with
1944 were made 261 propellers 1 11065 plywood Companhia Paulista de Aviação CAP which first
sheets. In 1945, 325 were made of propellers and resulted was the construction of the IPT-4
16011 sheets of plywood, including exports to Planalto. Also, through this agreement the
other countries [3]. In addition to supporting Aeronautical Division of IPT worked in the
glider clubs and the air club in São Paulo, the redesign of the Ypiranga aircraft that became the
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 BRAZILIAN AVIATION HISTORY: THE UNIVERSITY OF SÃO PAULO CASE

Paulistinha, a very important trainer aircraft Also, designed and built more than 750
which was produced more than 700 units most of propellers. The IPT worked in aeronautical
them by the CAP and later by the NEIVA activities from 1930 until the end of 1950. In the
company which later became an EMBRAER aeronautical engineering sector, the works of the
subdivision. There are still many of them flying IPT were very important, first supporting the
around Brazil. Figures 13 and 14 shows the IPT- STA (Aeronautical Technical Service), then the
4 Planalto and the CAP Paulistinha. CTA and ITA. It is not unfair to say that almost
all the Brazilian projects of the 30s, 40s and 50s
had somehow the help of the IPT [1].
When the activities in the IPT stopped in
1956 due to a combination of factors from a
deactivation of the São Paulo aeronautical
industries to the creation of the CTA and ITA,
Romeu Corsini start to working in the São Paulo
Air Transportation Department until 1970. After
that he moved to São Carlos Engineering School
Fig. 13 The IPT-4 Planalto first aircraft produced by of University of São Paulo (EESC-USP) as a
CAP 1942.[2] professor where became director from 1974 to
1978. There, he created the Industrial Research
and Improvement Center (IPAI) to support
among others the aeronautical design. IPAI
group designed various prototypes with a special
emphasis on the TUCA IPAI-26 aircraft, a high-
wing T-tail for basic flight instruction as a
substitute for Paulistinha. The project was
coordinated by a young faculty member of
EESC-USP Eng. Dawilson Lucatto and also had
the collaboration of Eng. Michael George
Maunsell. He designed the “TUCA” with many
influences from IPT Aeronautical division such
wooden wings and empennage with IPT’
plywood and, slots at the aileron section. The
Fig. 14 The CAP-4 Palistinha prototype donated the aircraft had a metal lattice type fuselage structure
aeronautical museum in São Paulo, the first on the right covered by fiber glass and a modern side by side
is Romeu Corsini and the second on the left is Santos
Dumont's nephew. cockpit. Also, innovate with an all composite
fixed landing gear. Figures 16 to 18 shows the
IPAI 26 TUCA.

Fig. 15 Paulistinha flying today.

Fig. 16 IPAI 26 TUCA first flight test in 1977.

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 F.M. Catalano

also became the second aerospace hub in the state

of Sao Paulo as it can be seen in Fig. 19.

Fig. 17 The IPAI 26 TUCA three view.

Fig. 19 São Carlos Aerospace hub.

Today, the course forms 40 aeronautical
engineers per year. The Aeronautical
Engineering course at EESC-USP is a 5-year
course divided in three phases: basic, general
professional engineering and specific
engineering. Each phase has a main stream of
disciplines although some preparatory and
Fig. 18 The TUCA in flight, note the boom for the introductory disciplines in aeronautics are
calibrated pitot and the tail stop parachute for the spin
distributed through the first two years. There are
tests.
three main directives for the all the disciplines:
The group of teachers created with the learn to learn, team work and addressing open
actions of Romeo Corsini and Dawilson Lucato problems. These directives, despite the fact that
understanding that the formation of human is not always ease to implement in every
resources was essential for the continuity of discipline taught, are essential for the
Brazilian aeronautical engineering, created a multidisciplinary aspect of aeronautical
course for specialization in aircraft design within engineering. In fact, the majority of disciplines
the course of mechanical engineering, are centered to develop student skills for aircraft
Eventually, this specialization became an design and to work at an aerospace engineering
emphasis on aircraft engineering until 2002 when environment. However, engineering is not
the course in aeronautical engineering was practiced in a vacuum nor the engineers live in a
established. The creation of the first aeronautical world made up their own creations.
engineering course of USP and the second Consequently, the educational program in
besides ITA in Brazil was an answer to the engineering also provides an appreciation of the
Brazilian aerospace industry reborn after world in which the graduate will act. This
privation which demanded more and more high- requires notions of cultural forces, political,
level engineers. The University of Sao Paulo is ethical and aesthetic that affects the world.
the most important University in Brazil and stay The Aeronautical Engineering Department
within the 100th best universities in the world. of EESC-USP coordinates research and
The combination with all the heritage on aircraft development projects with the Brazilian and
design and aeronautical engineering from the its foreign aeronautical industry. The infrastructure
past at IPT transferred to EESC in Sao Carlos, is more than 3600m2 and the department has 9
became a perfect condition for high level laboratories for research in aerodynamics,
education, research and development on aeroacoustics, flight dynamics and control,
aerospace engineering. The Sao Carlos region maintenance, smart materials and aeronautical
structures. One of the highlights of these projects
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 BRAZILIAN AVIATION HISTORY: THE UNIVERSITY OF SÃO PAULO CASE

is the coordination of the Silent Aircraft program Figure 22 shows the recent testing carried out
which involves EMBRAER and FINEP. The 5- with a full model at DNW wind tunnel in
year project aims to the development of the Holland.
capacity of testing and simulating airframe Recent project with the Boeing BR&T the wind
aeroacoustics. The wind tunnel of the tunnel at the Aerodynamics Laboratory of the
Aerodynamic Laboratory can carry-out Aeronautical Department of EESC-USP aimed to
aeroacosutic experiments with microphone array the development of NRTs for nose landing gear.
in two-dimensional high lift wing in order to Figure 23 shows the nose landing gear at the test
develop noise reduction technologies (NRT) in section of LAE-1. The importance of the
TRL (technological redness level) up to 3. aeronautical engineering activities at EESC-USP
Within the project is possible to carry -out today in formation of high quality engineers and
experiments in large wind tunnel to increase the international level research and technological
TRL of the NRTs. Figures 20 and 21 show the 2- development reveals also the importance of the
D wing testing at EESC-USP and half model at perseverance and good work in the past.
DNW wind tunnel in Holland and fan noise at
NASA Gleen USA.

Fig. 212 Full model aeroacoustic testing at DNW ND.

source author.

Fig. 20 2-D aeroacoustics testes at SAA wind tunnel.

Fig. 201 Large aeroacoustics testing NASA Langley (left) DNW half model testing.

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 F.M. Catalano

permission, or have obtained permission from the

copyright holder of this paper, for the publication and
distribution of this paper as part of the ICAS proceedings
or as individual off-prints from the proceedings.

Fig. 23 Nose landing gear model tested at LAE-1 wind

tunnel from Boeing BR&T project.

2 Conclusions
This brief work describes some of the
historical details of the aeronautical engineering
development at University of Sao Paulo which
lead to an important center of aerospace
development at Sao Carlos School of
Engineering. The effort of many pioneers and
abnegate persons from the past together with the
knowledge transfer through the years, was the
key for the success of today.

References
[1] Roberto Pereira de Andrade Aircraft Building A
Brazilian Heritage EMBRAER, Publisher, 2008.
[2] Villares, H. D., Quem Deu Asas ao Homem, São
Paulo, 1953.
[3] Pionerismo nos céus A História da Divisão de
Aeronáutica do Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas do
Estado de São Paulo , São Paulo 2006, Secretaria de
Ciência, Tecnologia e desenvolvimento econômico.
[4] Musa, J. L., Mourão, M. B., Tilkian, R., Alberto
Santos-Dumont, Eu Naveguei Pelo Ar, Nova
Fronteira, 2001.

8 Contact Author Email Address

catalano@sc,usp.br

Copyright Statement
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organization, hold copyright on all of the original material
included in this paper. The authors also confirm that they
have obtained permission, from the copyright holder of any
third-party material included in this paper, to publish it as
part of their paper. The authors confirm that they give
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