Among the First Serbs, Pioneers of Aviation

Mihailo Merćep (1864-1937) a multitalented sportsman, globe trotter, adventurer, entrepreneur and successful businessman, was also the head of a large family – this intelligent and energetic trailblazer is numbered at the very top of the list of aviation pioneers from this part of Europe.

By Jovo Simišić
Photo courtesy of the Belgrade Museum of Aviation

Mihailo Merćep, a Serb by nationality from Bileća, Herzegovina, who lived in Zagreb, Croatia, which, like the majority of Yugoslav states at the end of the 19^th and the beginning of the 20^th centuries, formed part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He owned a photo shop and, a true rarity at the time, a private automobile.

His illustrious career began with a bicycle in which he showed an interest during his youth; he even participated in several international bicycle races. He will be remembered by one remarkable undertaking: as a 29 year-old man (1893) he ventured with his bicycle to America, which sparked his interest in flying. Sava Mrkić, in the voluminous History of Yugoslav Aviation published in 1933, wrote that Merćep, upon returning from America (1897), followed the development of aviation with great enthusiasm, and it was only to be expected that a multitalented athlete familiar with all kinds of vehicles would embrace aviation. He had a rich library and was well acquainted with the engines of his day. He began work on the construction of an airplane in 1909, which means that Merćep numbered among the first Slavs airplane builders.

Merćep entered the world of aviation through great doors before the second half of 1910, following a meeting with already experienced airplane builders, the legendary Wright brothers of the former Yugoslavia – Edvard and Joško Rusjan from Slovenska Gorica. In November, 1909 Edvard Rusjan became the first pilot from Central Europe to fly an airplane that he had built. When Merćep visited Slovenska Gorica for the first time, he extended an offer of cooperation to the Rusjan brothers that they gladly accepted and so Merćep subsequently moved to Zagreb.

The first task was to acquire an airplane engine from Paris that matched their requirements. Their choice was a "Gnom" with 50 HP (37 kW), and they also enquired about the newest developments in flying at world aviation centers.

Immediately upon their return they began to build a monoplane type "Merćep-Rusjan". They designed a plane that was adapted to a new engine and an "Integral" propeller. Once they had acquired all the necessary equipment, they began to construct the plane. In the meantime, they built their own hangar in which to complete the assembly.

The first test flights were successfully conducted in mid-November and the first public flight occurred on the second day after Christmas (27th December). Merćep decided to perform the first public flight in Belgrade 14 days later, for Orthodox Christmas. During this flight, on January 9^th, 1911, according to the new calendar, Edvard Rusjan lost his life. A strong wind snapped a wing of the plane during landing, and it crashed into the walls of Kalemegdan Fortress by the Sava River.

Merćep continued his work when he returned to Zagreb, now with Joško Rusjan. They worked on a new machine that differed significantly from the one Rusjan had flown when he was killed. This plane was finished at the end of summer in 1911, and in November he conducted a successful test flight.

The first pilot of this new airplane was Dragutin Novak, who performed the first public air show in Zagreb in July 1912. Before numerous spectators, he demonstrated the capabilities of the airplane, not to mention his skill and courage.

That same year, Merćep built another plane – a completely new type that was somewhat smaller than the previous model but which weighed the same. It was more solid and simpler, and aesthetically it was a great improvement. In August 1912, Merćep’s airplane, piloted by Dragutin Novak, won first prize at the second Hungarian Air Meeting in Budapest, in a field of about 15 airplanes.

At the beginning of 1914, Merćep completed his best and last airplane, which was considerably better than his previous efforts. The outbreak of World War One, however, suspended his activities. He died in 1937 in Belgrade, where he had spent the last years of his life.

One interesting event that is also an important historical detail connected with the name of Merćep is the delivery of the first airplane to Serbia. A group of young Belgraders headed by Dragiša Stojadinović ordered a "Bleriot" type airplane from Merćep", which he delivered in May, 1912.

Merćep arrived in the company of the pilot and two assistants to assemble the plane. Two days were foreseen for assembly and the third day was reserved for a test flight and delivery of the craft.

On the day of the scheduled flight in Banjica, many spectators gathered to see the spectacle. Among them was a projectionist who wanted to capture the event. However, the curious spectators were soon greatly disappointed. The pilot refused to fly because the terrain was unfit.

While arguments for and against flying continued, the airplane was pulled out of its hangar and, from time to time, the engine was started. The spectators took part by firmly holding the wheels and tail so the plan wouldn’t roll away.

After some short bickering, Dragiša Stojadinović climbed up into the airplane and ordered the engine to be started. Only when he took a seat at the commanding wheel did he say to Merćep: "I will fly as no one wants to…" Merćep and his pilot were shouting something to Stojadinović, trying to explain … In all that turmoil and chaos somebody gave the sign to release the plane and it suddenly started thumping across the field, swinging to the left and right.

Later, Stojadinović described the event in the following manner:

"When I realized that I could not persuade Merćep and his pilot to fly, I got angry and decided to try myself, no matter what happened. I was sorry for all those people who had arrived there for nothing, and I also wanted to see what I had purchased as the deal included the test. So I climbed into the airplane and told Merćep that I was going to fly. He began explaining that it was not so simple, that the machine was set to immediately ascend thirty meters, that no one should play with such a thing, etc. However, I couldn’t be discouraged and I replied that he had nothing to fear because I was only going to test it."

And young Stojadinović did so. Later, even he couldn’t explain how he had managed to fly and avoid crashing into the wood stands and how, finally, he had managed to "land" in a nearby stream. Fortunately, without casualties. However, the airplane was not for further use. It was left in the hangar at Banjica where it was destroyed during the Balkan War that broke out that same year.