Fatal Firsts In Aviation History

muqawwee123 · August 26, 2013, 8:48am

Re: Fatal Firsts In Aviation History

Franz Reichelt

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An Austrian tailor, Reichelt was also an inventor. He spent a lot of time working out the mechanics of a new type of parachute that could be worn by aviators during flights. At his fifth-floor Paris apartment, he tossed test dummies out the window at all hours and watched the mannequins plummet to the courtyard below.
Undaunted, he continued tweaking his design and finally settled on one made of India rubber stretched over a framework. The final prototype resembled a full-body suit with bat wings and an oversized silk hood. With the permission of the Prefect of Police, Reichelt went to the Eiffel Tower to perform the first manned test. His friends pleaded with him not to go. He reportedly replied, “Wait there. I will be down directly.” He kept his promise. Reichelt climbed to the first platform, jumped, and fell to his death in front of horrified onlookers.

what does made of India mean?