From 1889, the engineer Léon Levavasseur became interested in internal combustion engines. He developed light and powerful engines mounted on boats which he tested on the Seine. His meeting with the industrialist Jules Gastambide encouraged him to enter the aeronautical field. In 1903, his first eight-cylinder 90-degree V engine with 80 hp was far ahead of its time. Levavasseur then built the “Antoinette” monoplane, named after his partner’s daughter. The 12.37-metre-long nacelle resembled the bow of a boat (photo). The fuselage gradually tapers to a bird-like tail.