UNIVEM premises are located only a hundred yards away from the historic airfield that saw in 1897 the very first aeroplane taking off the ground. Clement Ader had designed and built it for the military. He also coined the name « avion » which is today the french word for « aeroplane », or « plane » for short. A historical landmark sign stands next to our door.
In the photos below : the Eole steam engine, the lightest in the world : 77 lb (35kg) for 20 hp, as one can see it on display at the “Musée de l’air et de l’espace” at Le Bourget (a Paris suburb). Also, a reconstruction of the Eole with its prominent steam condenser allowing a closed water and steam cycle, a historical photo and a replica displayed at the Arts et Métiers museum in Paris (http://www.arts-et-metiers.net/musee/visitor-information).
