Maurice Arnoux
| Maurice Arnoux | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Maurice Albert Alfred Jean Arnoux |
| Born |
7 September 1895 Montrouge, Hauts-de-Seine, France |
| Died | 6 June 1940 (aged 44) |
| Buried | Montrouge Cemetery, Paris (48°49′20″N 2°19′9″E / 48.82222°N 2.31917°ECoordinates: 48°49′20″N 2°19′9″E / 48.82222°N 2.31917°E) |
| Allegiance | France |
| Service/branch | French Army French Air Force |
| Years of service | 1914–1918, 1939–1940 |
| Rank | Commandant |
| Unit | MF49 MF55 N49/Spa49 |
| Awards |
Légion d'honneur Médaille militaire Croix de Guerre |
Commandant Maurice Albert Alfred Jean Arnoux (7 September 1895 – 6 June 1940) was a French World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. He returned to flying fighter planes during the early days of World War II, but was killed in action in 1940.
Arnoux took part in many air races and events during the 1930's. In August 1931 he took part in the Dunlop Cup Tour of France, flying a Farman 234, and came second, winning 12,000 francs. The following year he entered the same aircraft in the Challenge International de Tourisme. In the Technical Tests, held at Staaken, Berlin, his aircraft managed only 39th place out of 41, and in the subsequent race around Europe, a distance of approximately 4,530 miles (7,290 km) over six days, he came 23rd out of 24 to complete the race.
On 2 June 1933 he competed in the first Douze Heures d'Angers race, a competition confined to tourist two-seater aircraft with engines no larger than 8 litres. Flown around triangular course based at the Avrille Aerodrome at Angers, the race was to cover the furthest distance in twelve hours, combining endurance with speed. Arnoux flew a Farman 356 fitted with a Renault Bengali engine, covering 1,992 kilometres (1,238 mi) at an average speed of 166.5 km/h (103.5 mph), and coming in 6th place.
In May 1934 Arnoux won the Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe, flying a Caudron low-wing cantilever monoplane, fitted with a 300 hp Renault six-cylinder engine. The 2,000-kilometre (1,200 mi) race was flown from Étampes-Mondésir Aerodrome over a 100-kilometre (62 mi) triangular course, and Arnoux completed it 5 hours 8 minutes and 31 seconds, at an average speed of 389 km/h (242 mph). Soon afterwards, in June, he made a presentation flight in his winning aircraft at an Anglo-French event at Buc Aerodrome to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Louis Blériot's 1909 flight across the English channel, which was attended by Blériot himself, President Albert Lebrun, the French Air Minister General Victor Denain, British Air Minister Lord Londonderry and Air Vice-Marshal Philip Joubert de la Ferté. The following year however, he only managed third place.
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