Bon pattern French aviation dart

Original WW1 French aviation dart,  Bon model, in very good condition, slight surface oxidation, double S-shaped hallmark.

These darts for bomber aircraft were designed by the renowned engineer Clément Ader (1841-1925). His airplane experiments between 1890 and 1897 are better known than his general work on aviation. However, he published three books between 1907 and 1912 that helped lay the foundations of military aviation. In the second of these, published in 1909 and titled "Military Aviation," he proposed various types of bombing equipment, including steel darts. These were recommended by Colonel Bon. The Bon dart is therefore an invention of Ader's. He designed several models, but the most widely used was 12 cm long with a diameter of 0.8 cm and weighed 15 grams. The Germans also adopted this weapon, but with different designs. At an altitude of 500 meters, these darts, stored in a box of 50 opened by a lever, fell at varying speeds, often reaching 100 meters per second, or over 350 km/h. Their descent was completely silent. Pilots equipped with these weapons primarily targeted columns of soldiers or gatherings due to the poor accuracy of the shots.

This dart is 12 centimeters long. The cruciform profile of the rear section helps stabilize the dart during its fall. The kinetic energy achieved is so high that a single dart is capable of piercing a steel helmet.

A beautiful object on the theme of aviation in the Great War. so high that a single dart is capable of piercing a steel helmet.