This exhibition aims to celebrate the centenary of the first air crossing between Lisbon and Funchal, which took place on 22 March 1921, and was led by pilots Sacadura Cabral, Gago Coutinho and Ortins Bettencourt, accompanied by the mechanic Roger Soubiran, on board the seaplane 'Felixstowe F.3'.
In addition to highlighting the importance of the protagonists, the exhibition also aims to provide details on the goals of the journey. In this case, the goal was to test the air navigation system, using the first sextant with an artificial horizon designed and enhanced by Gago Coutinho, which could be used on board aircraft, and another instrument built in collaboration with Sacadura Cabral, which was called 'drift plaque' or 'course corrector', which made it possible to graphically calculate the angle between the aircraft's longitudinal axis and the course it should follow, taking into account the intensity and direction of the wind.
After a journey of about seven and a half hours, the value of these instruments was indeed demonstrated. They would be decisive in the success of the First Air Crossing of the South Atlantic between Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro, between 30 March and 17 June 1922.
SEE THE EXHIBITION HERE.