description Robert Esnault-Pelterie Overview
Robert Esnault-Pelterie was a pioneering French aircraft designer and rocket propulsion theorist. In 1907, he designed the R.E.P. 1 monoplane, which notably featured the first use of a single joystick for flight control, and he later became a foundational figure in European rocketry and astronautics theory.
help Robert Esnault-Pelterie FAQ
What was Robert Esnault-Pelterie's REP 1?
The REP 1 was an experimental French monoplane designed and built by Robert Esnault-Pelterie, with powered flights in 1907. The aircraft is preserved at the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris. [REP 1 history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esnault-Pelterie_REP.1)
Did Robert Esnault-Pelterie invent the aircraft joystick?
He is widely credited with pioneering the single control stick that combined pitch and roll inputs. His early joystick system was associated with the REP 1 and was later used in aircraft such as Louis Blériot's designs. [Smithsonian history](https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/18680/SAoF-0010-Lo_res.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=2)
What did Esnault-Pelterie contribute to rocketry?
In 1913 he published early theoretical work applying rocket equations and energy calculations to travel to the Moon and nearby planets. He later expanded those ideas in his book L'Astronautique, published in 1930. [History of astronautics](https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/18680/SAoF-0010-Lo_res.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=2)
Where can you see Robert Esnault-Pelterie's REP 1 today?
The REP 1 is held by the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris. It represents the aircraft side of Esnault-Pelterie's career, alongside his later work on rocket propulsion and astronautics.
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