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Armand Dufaux

1883 – 1941

French-Swiss aviation pioneer and inventor

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About Armand Dufaux

Lived 1883 – 1941 (aged 58). Armand Dufaux was a Swiss and French inventor and aircraft pilot.

Armand Dufaux (1883–1941) was a Swiss aviation pioneer who became famous for flying the length of Lake Geneva in 1910.

His mother was Noémie de Rochefort-Luçay, daughter of French politician Henri Rochefort and his father was Swiss artist Auguste Frederic Dufaux, known as Frederic. Armand was one of three children. His older brother Henri Dufaux was also an aviation pioneer. Their maternal grandfather Henri Rochefort financially supported his grandsons' initial aeronautic experiments.

He and his brother, Henri, were natives of Geneva. Their first design was a model helicopter weighing , which successfully achieved flight in April 1905. This was followed by a triplane that was unable to fly, then a third design that crashed on its first flight.

The Dufaux 4 was their first successful craft. On 28 August 1910, Armand flew it from St. Gingolph to Geneva (about in just 56 minutes and 5 seconds, and winning the Perrot-Duval prize of 5,000 Swiss francs for the feat.

Later that year, the brothers established an aircraft business, and in 1911, sold their Dufaux 5 to 18-year-old Ernest Failloubaz.

A stamp of the Swiss Post published in 1977 is reminiscent of the joint work of the brothers. "The Dufaux brothers can make use of the engine flight in Switzerland from the stage of experimentation, the theory, into practice."

The Dufaux 4 is today on display at the Swiss Transport Museum. In 1997, Armand Dufaux was honored on a Swiss postage stamp, as one of four pioneers of Swiss aviation.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Awards
Knight of the Legion of Honour

People in Armand Dufaux's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Armand Dufaux's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Armand Dufaux?

French-Swiss aviation pioneer and inventor (1883-1941)

When was Armand Dufaux born?

Armand Dufaux was born on 13 January 1883 in 9th arrondissement of Paris.

When did Armand Dufaux die?

Armand Dufaux died on 17 July 1941 in Geneva.

What was Armand Dufaux's occupation?

Armand Dufaux was an inventor and aircraft pilot.

What nationality was Armand Dufaux?

Armand Dufaux was Swiss and French.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Armand Dufaux

· Wikidata: Q638915

· DBpedia: Armand Dufaux

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Armand Dufaux. https://biography.guide/armand-dufaux/

MLA: "Armand Dufaux." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/armand-dufaux/.

Chicago: "Armand Dufaux." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/armand-dufaux/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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