Larry Katz

THE IDEA FOR this model was derived
from an airplane that Igo Etrich designed in
1912. His inspiration came not from a bird
but from a palm tree. Its seeds were winged,
and as he watched them fall, he felt sure that
they had an aerodynamic design he could use
for an airplane. Etrich’s aircraft looked
more like a bird than a flying seed; hence its
name—the “Taube”—meaning dove. In
flight, the graceful outline justified the name,
but a closer look revealed that the machine
was covered with wires. Etrich gave up his
claim to the design’s copyright, and the
airplane proved to be the father of many
future airplanes, including ITSA BIRD.