Leonardo da Vinci's Ornithopter body. This design may have been flightworthy, but was not tested

Aviation history deals with the development of mechanical flight, from the earliest attempts in kite-powered and gliding flight, to the demonstration of sustained, controlled and powered heavier-than-air flight, and beyond. Template:Public domain ornithopter leonardo File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Template:Public domain ornithopter leonardo File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... “Da Vinci” redirects here. ... An ornithopter (from Greek ornithos bird and pteron wing) is an aircraft that flies by flapping its wings. ... For other uses, see Flight (disambiguation). ...

Humanity's desire to fly possibly first found expression in China, where human flight tied to kites is recorded (as a punishment) from the sixth century AD. Subsequently, the first hang glider was demonstrated by Abbas Ibn Firnas in Andalusia in the 9th century AD. Leonardo da Vinci's (15th c.) dream of flight found expression in several designs, but he did not attempt to demonstrate flight. It was in post-industrial Europe from the late 18th century that serious attempts at flight took place, with progression from lighter-than-air (hot-air balloons, 1783), unpowered heavier-than-air (Otto Lilienthal, 1891), and finally, powered, sustained, flight (Wright Brothers, 1903). Hang gliding is one of the windsports. ... Abbas Ibn Firnas, or Abbas Qasim Ibn Firnas (Unknown- 887 A.D.) was a Spanish-Arab humanitarian, technologist, and chemist. ... For other uses, see Andalusia (disambiguation). ... “Da Vinci” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Hot air balloons are the oldest successful human flight technology, dating back to the Montgolfier brothers invention in Annonay, France in 1783. ... 1783 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Otto Lilienthal Otto Lilienthal (23 May 1848 – 10 August 1896), the German Glider King, was a pioneer of human aviation. ... Year 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Wright brothers, Orville (August 19, 1871–January 30, 1948) and Wilbur (April 16, 1867–May 30, 1912), were two Americans generally credited with building the worlds first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and heavier-than-air human flight on December 17, 1903. ... 1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ...

Since then, Aircraft designers have struggled to make their craft go faster, further, fly higher, and be controlled more easily: Flying machine redirects here. ...

• Control: Initially gliders were controlled by moving one's entire body (Otto Lilienthal) or warping the wings (Wright brothers). Modern airplanes are controlled with the help of flaps such as ailerons and elevators, and these are stabilized by a computerized system to the extent that it is not possible to fly certain military aircraft without these controllers.

• Power: Aircraft engines have become lighter and more efficient, from Clement Ader's steam engine to piston, jet and rocket engines.

• Material: Initially made of canvas and wood, aircraft materials moved to doped fabric and steel tubing, all aluminum monocoque construction (around WWII), and increasingly today, composites.

• Use: Commercialization kept pace along with technology, leading to rapid progress in civilian, as well as military applications.

Gliders are un-powered heavier-than-air aircraft. ... Otto Lilienthal Otto Lilienthal (23 May 1848 – 10 August 1896), the German Glider King, was a pioneer of human aviation. ... The Wright brothers, Orville (August 19, 1871–January 30, 1948) and Wilbur (April 16, 1867–May 30, 1912), were two Americans generally credited with building the worlds first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and heavier-than-air human flight on December 17, 1903. ... For the band with a similar name, see The Ailerons Ailerons are hinged control surfaces attached to the trailing edge of the wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. ... For other meanings of elevator see Elevator (disambiguation). ... The term aircraft engine, for the purposes of this article, refers to aircraft reciprocating, or rotary, internal combustion engines as opposed to jet engines or turboprops. ... Photograph of Ader Cl ment Ader (February 4, 1841 - March 5, 1926) was a French engineer born in Muret, Haute Garonne remembered primarily for his pioneering work in aviation. ... // The term steam engine may also refer to an entire railroad steam locomotive. ... Components of a typical, four stroke cycle, DOHC piston engine. ... A Pratt and Whitney turbofan engine for the F-15 Eagle is tested at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, USA. The tunnel behind the engine muffles noise and allows exhaust to escape. ... A cold (un-ignited) rocket engine test at NASA A rocket engine is a reaction engine that can be used for spacecraft propulsion as well as terrestrial uses, such as missiles. ... Look up Canvas in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Aircraft dope is a plasticised lacquer that is applied to fabric-coated aircraft to tauten, stiffen, adhere and provide protection to the skin material. ... Aluminum is a soft and lightweight metal with a dull silvery appearance, due to a thin layer of oxidation that forms quickly when it is exposed to air. ... Monocoque (French for single shell) is a construction technique that uses the external skin of an object to support some or most of the load on the structure. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... A cloth of woven carbon fiber filaments, a common element in composite materials Composite materials (or composites for short) are engineered materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties and which remain separate and distinct on a macroscopic level within the finished structure. ...

Early Flight

Icarus and Daedalus

See also: List of early flying machines and First flying machine

The dream of flight is fueled by our observation of the birds, and is illustrated in myths across the world (e.g. Daedalus and Icarus in Greek mythology, or the Pushpaka Vimana of the Ramayana). The first attempts to fly also often drew on the idea of imitating birds, as in Daedalus' building his wings out of feathers and wax. Attempts to build wings of various materials and jump off high towers continued well until the seventeenth century. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Icarus and Daedalus by Frederic Leighton In Greek mythology, Icarus (Latin, Greek – Íkaros, Etruscan – Vicare, German – Ikarus) was son of Daedalus, famous for his death by falling into the sea when he flew too close to the sun, melting the wax holding his artificial wings together. ... Daedalus and Icarus, by Charles Paul Landon, 1799 (Musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle, Alençon) In Greek mythology, Daedalus (Latin, also Hellenized Latin Daedalos, Greek Daidalos (Δαίδαλος) meaning cunning worker, and Etruscan Taitle) was a most skillful artificer, so skillful that he was said to have invented... The human dream of flight: Utopian flying machines from the 18th Century (illustration from the late 19th Century). ... There are conflicting views as to what was the first flying machine. ... Daedalus and Icarus, by Charles Paul Landon, 1799 (Musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle, Alençon) In Greek mythology, Daedalus (Latin, also Hellenized Latin Daedalos, Greek Daidalos (Δαίδαλος) meaning cunning worker, and Etruscan Taitle) was a most skillful artificer, so skillful that he was said to have invented... Icarus and Daedalus by Frederic Leighton In Greek mythology, Icarus (Latin, Greek – Íkaros, Etruscan – Vicare, German – Ikarus) was son of Daedalus, famous for his death by falling into the sea when he flew too close to the sun, melting the wax holding his artificial wings together. ... Pushpaka Vimana in Hindu mythology was a vehicle that could fly in the air. ... For the television series by Ramanand Sagar, see Ramayan (TV series). ...

Hot Air Balloons and Kites in China

The Kongming lantern (proto hot air balloon) was known in China from ancient times. Its invention is usually attributed to the general Zhuge Liang (180-234 CE, honorific title Kongming), who is said to have used them to scare the enemy troops: The Kongming lantern (Chinese:zh:孔明灯) was the first hot air balloon, said to be invented by Zhuge Liang in popular lore, whose reverent term of address (his Chinese style name) was Kongming. ... For other uses, see number 180. ... Events Wei Yan revolts against the kingdom of Shu Han Births Emperor Wu of Jin China (approximate date) Deaths Li Yan, general of the Shu Kingdom Wei Yan, Shu general, executed by Ma Dai Zhuge Liang of the Shu Kingdom in China, dies on the Wu Zhang Plains in a...

An oil lamp was installed under a large paper bag, and the bag floated in the air due to the lamp heating the air. ... The enemy was frightened by the light in the air, thinking that some divine force was helping him. ^[1]

However, the device based on a lamp in a paper shell is documented earlier, and according to Joseph Needham, hot-air balloons in China were known from the 3rd century BC. Joseph Terence Montgomery Needham (December 9, 1900 – March 24, 1995) was a British biochemist and pre-eminent authority on the history of Chinese science. ...

During the Yuan dynasty (13th c.) under rulers like Kublai Khan, the rectangular lamps became popular in festivals, when they would attract huge crowds. During the Mongol Empire, the design may have spread along the Silk Route into Central Asia and the Middle East. Almost identical floating lights with a rectangular lamp in thin paper scaffolding are common in Tibetan celebrations and in the Indian festival of lights, Diwali. However, there is no evidence that these were used for human flight. For other uses, see Kublai Khan (disambiguation). ... Expansion of the Mongol Empire Historical map of the Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire, also known as the Mongolian Empire (Mongolian: , Mongolyn Ezent Güren; 1206–1405) was the largest contiguous empire in history and for sometime was the most feared in Eurasia. ... The Silk Road (Traditional Chinese: 絲綢之路; Simplified Chinese: 丝绸之路; pinyin: sī chóu zhī lù) was an interconnected series of routes through Southern Asia traversed by caravan and ocean vessel, and connecting Changan, China with Antioch, Syria, as well as other... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... This article is about historical/cultural Tibet. ... Diwali,or Deepawali, (also called Tihar and Swanti in Nepal) (Markiscarali) is a major Indian and Nepalese festive holiday. ...

In 559, human flight using a kite was documented during a succession wrangle in the Northern Wei kingdom, according to the Comprehensive Mirror for the Aid of Government.^[2] After the death of emperor Yuan Lang (513-532), his general Gao Huan took over as emperor. After Gao Huan's death, his son Gao Yang, had Yuan Huangtou, son of the erstwhile emperor, launched on a kite from a tower in the capital Ye. Yuan Huangtou floated across the city walls and survived the landing, but was soon executed. Possibly, the capacity of kites to carry humans, as remarked upon several centuries later by Marco Polo, was known even at this time. Events The Bulgars invade and raid Byzantine territory, but are driven back near Constantinople by Belisarius. ... For other uses, see Kite (disambiguation). ... The Northern Wei Dynasty (北魏 386-534) is most noted for the unification of northern China in 440, it was also heavily involved in funding the arts and many antiques and art works from this period have survived. ... Yuan Lang (元朗) (513-532), courtesy name Zhongzhe (仲哲), frequently known by his post-removal title of Prince of Anding (安定王), at times known as Emperor Houfei (後廢帝, later removed emperor), was briefly an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei. ... Gao Huan (高歡) (496-547), nickname Heliuhun (賀六渾), formally Prince Xianwu of Qi (齊獻武王), later further formally honored by Northern Qi as Emperor Shenwu (神武皇帝, literally the unnamable and martial emperor) with the temple name Gaozu (高祖), was the paramount general of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei and Northern Weis branch successor state... Emperor Wenxuan of (Northern) Qi ((北)齊文宣帝) (529-559), personal name Gao Yang (高洋), courtesy name Zijin (子進), was the first emperor of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi. ... Yuan Huangtou(chinese:zh:元黄头) was the son of emperor Yuan Lang of Eastern Wei. ... Ye was a city in ancient China. ...

Parachutes and Gliders in Umayyad Spain

Minaret of the Great Mosque at Córdoba. In 852, Ibn Firnas is said to have jumped off the top in a parachute-like apparatus, and survived with minor injuries.

Islamic Spain during the Umayyad renaissance under the Caliphate of Cordoba witnessed several attempts at flight by the Arab polymath and inventor Abbas Ibn Firnas (his name is sometimes Latinized as "Armen Firman", leading to some confusion whether these two are different people^[3]), who was supported by the Emir Abd ar-Rahman II. In 852 he made a set of wings with cloth stiffened by wooden struts. With this umbrella-like apparatus, Ibn Firnas jumped off the minaret of the Grand Mosque in Cordoba - while he could not fly, his apparatus slowed his fall, and he escaped with minor injuries. His device is now considered to have been a prototype of the modern parachute. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1944x2592, 1044 KB) Summary The Mezquita, Córdoba, Spain. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1944x2592, 1044 KB) Summary The Mezquita, Córdoba, Spain. ... Location Coordinates : , , Time zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer : CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Córdoba (Spanish) Spanish name Córdoba Founded 8th century BC Postal code 140xx Website http://www. ... Al-Andalus is the Arabic name given the Iberian Peninsula by its Muslim conquerors; it refers to both the Caliphate proper and the general period of Muslim rule (711–1492). ... The Courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, one of the grandest architectural legacies of the Umayyads. ... The interior of the Great Mosque in Córdoba, now a Christian cathedral. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Leonardo da Vinci, a polymath, is seen as the epitome of the related term, Renaissance Man A polymath (Greek polymathÄ“s, πολυμαθής, having learned much)[1][2] is a person with encyclopedic, broad, or varied knowledge or learning. ... A significant number of inventions were produced in the Muslim world, many of them with direct implications for Fiqh related issues. ... Abbas Ibn Firnas, or Abbas Qasim Ibn Firnas (Unknown- 887 A.D.) was a Spanish-Arab humanitarian, technologist, and chemist. ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... Abd-ar-rahman II (822 - 852) was one of the weaker of the Spanish Umayyads. ... Events Boris I Michael succeeds the duumvirate of Malamir and Presian as monarch of Bulgaria. ... For other uses, see Wing (disambiguation). ... Location Coordinates : , , Time zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer : CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Córdoba (Spanish) Spanish name Córdoba Founded 8th century BC Postal code 140xx Website http://www. ... This article is about the device. ...

Twenty-five years later, at the age of 65, Ibn Firnas came up with an improved design, which included the first flight control surfaces. He took this set of wings, considered to be the first hang glider, to a small hill called Jabal al-'arus, and apparently managed to fly for quite some time, by some accounts as long as ten minutes. This was the first attempt at controlled flight, as he was able to alter his altitude and change his direction in order to return to where he flew from. After successfully returning to his starting point, he eventually crashed to the ground, and said later that the landing could have been improved by providing a tail apparatus.^[4][5] His flight was apparently the inspiration for Eilmer of Malmesbury, more than a century later, who would fly for about 200 meters using a similar glider (circa 1010).^[6] Aircraft flight controls allow a pilot to guide his plane to the destination. ... Hang gliding is one of the windsports. ... Altitude is the elevation of an object from a known level or datum. ... Stained glass window showing Eilmer, installed in Malmesbury Abbey in 1920 in memory of Rev. ... Events The Ly Dynasty in Vietnam is established (or 1009). ...

Renaissance Europe and the Ottoman Empire

Leonardo da Vinci's Ornithopter wings

Some five centuries after Ibn Firnas, Leonardo da Vinci came up with a hang glider design in which the inner parts of the wings are fixed, and some control surfaces are provided towards the tips (as in the gliding flight in birds). While his drawings exist and are deemed flightworthy in principle, he himself never flew in it. Based on his drawings, and using materials that would have been available to him, a prototype constructed in the late 20th century was shown to fly^[7]. However, his sketchy design was interpreted with modern knowledge of aerodynamic principles, and whether his actual ideas would have flown is not known. A model he built for a test flight in 1496 did not fly, and some other designs, such as the four-person screw-type helicopter have severe flaws. Template:Public domain ornithopter leonardo File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Template:Public domain ornithopter leonardo File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... “Da Vinci” redirects here. ... An ornithopter (from Greek ornithos bird and pteron wing) is an aircraft that flies by flapping its wings. ... “Da Vinci” redirects here. ... 1496 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the 17th century, the Ottoman traveller Evliya Çelebi reported that in 1630-1632, he saw the Ottoman Turkish polymath Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi using a winged aircraft to fly across the Bosporus. He jumped off the Galata Tower (55m high) in Istanbul, and allegedly flew a distance of about 3km, and landed on the other (Asian) side, uninjured. A glide of 3 km from a launching height of 3km would at best require a modern glider to have considerable skill and practice, though it is known Celebi had practiced considerably prior to his flight.^[8] (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Ottoman redirects here. ... Evliya Çelebi (اوليا چلبي; also known as DerviÅŸ Mehmed Zılli) (March 25, 1611–1682) was the most famous Ottoman traveler, having journeyed throughout the territories of the Ottoman Empire and the neighbouring lands over a period of forty years. ... The Ottoman Turks were the ethnic subdivision of the Turkish people who dominated the ruling class of the Ottoman Empire. ... Leonardo da Vinci, a polymath, is seen as the epitome of the related term, Renaissance Man A polymath (Greek polymathÄ“s, πολυμαθής, having learned much)[1][2] is a person with encyclopedic, broad, or varied knowledge or learning. ... Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi (Turkish: Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi), who lived in the 17th century in Istanbul in the Ottoman Empire, is one of the first aviators to have succeeded in flying with artificial wings. ... Flying machine redirects here. ... I LOVE BORAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Two bridges cross the Bosporus. ... Galata Tower, Istanbul View from Galata Tower The Galata Tower (Turkish: Galata Kulesi) is located in Istanbul in Turkey to the north of the Golden Horn, at , . One of the citys most striking landmarks, it is a huge, cone-capped cylinder that dominates the skyline on the Galata side...

In 1633, Hezarfen's brother, Lagari Hasan Çelebi, launched himself in the air in a seven-winged rocket, which was composed of a large cage with a conical top filled with gunpowder. This was the first known example of a manned rocket and an artifically-powered aircraft. The flight was accomplished as a part of celebrations performed for the birth of Ottoman Emperor Murad IV's daughter. Evliya reported that Lagari had made a soft landing in the Bosporus by using the wings attached to his body as a parachute after the gunpowder was consumed, foreshadowing the sea-landing methods of astronauts with parachutes after their voyages from outer space. The flight was estimated to have lasted about twenty seconds and the maximum height reached around 300 metres. Lagari was rewarded by the sultan with a valuable military position in the Ottoman army.^[8] Lagari Hasan Çelebi is considered the first person to have flown. ... This article is about vehicles powered by rocket engines. ... Smokeless powder Gunpowder is a pyrotechnic composition, an explosive mixture of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate that burns rapidly, producing volumes of hot gas which can be used as a propellant in firearms and fireworks. ... Murad IV (Arabic: مراد الرابع) (June 16, 1612 – February 9, 1640) was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1623 to 1640, known both for restoring the authority of the state and for the brutality of his methods. ... I LOVE BORAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Two bridges cross the Bosporus. ... This article is about the device. ... This article is about the body of water. ... Astronaut Bruce McCandless II using a manned maneuvering unit outside the U.S. Space Shuttle Challenger in 1984. ... Layers of Atmosphere - not to scale (NOAA)[1] Outer space, sometimes simply called space, refers to the relatively empty regions of the universe outside the atmospheres of celestial bodies. ... This article details the military of the Ottoman Empire. ...

In 1670 Francesco Lana de Terzi published work that suggested lighter than air flight would be possible by having copper foil spheres that contained a vacuum that would be lighter than the displaced air, lift an airship (rather literal from his drawing). While not being completely off the mark, he did fail to realize that the pressure of the surrounding air would smash the spheres. Francesco Lana de Terzi (ca 1631 – 22 February 1687) a Jesuit in the 17th Century. ...

Modern Flight

Lighter than air

The 1884 La France, the first fully controllable airship

Although many people think of human flight as beginning with the aircraft in the early 1900s, in fact people had already been flying for some 200 years. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

The first generally recognized human flight took place in Paris in 1783. Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes went 5 miles (8 km) in a hot air balloon invented by the Montgolfier brothers. The balloon was powered by a wood fire, and was not steerable: that is, it flew wherever the wind took it. This article is about the capital of France. ... 1783 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier. ... François Laurent Marquis dArlandes (1742 - May 1, 1809) was a pioneer of hot air ballooning. ... This article is about hot air balloons themselves. ... Jacques Étienne Montgolfier For the indie pop band, see The Montgolfier Brothers. ...

The navigable balloon created by Giffard in 1852

Ballooning became a major "rage" in Europe in the late 18th century, providing the first detailed understanding of the relationship between altitude and the atmosphere. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...

Work on developing a steerable (or dirigible) balloon (now called an airship) continued sporadically throughout the 1800s. The first powered, controlled, sustained lighter-than-air flight is generally believed to have taken place in 1852 when Henri Giffard flew 15 miles (24 km) in France, with a steam engine driven craft. USS Akron (ZRS-4) in flight, November 2, 1931 An airship or dirigible is a buoyant lighter-than-air aircraft that can be steered and propelled through the air. ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Henri Giffard (1825-1882) was a French engineer who invented the injector and the powered airship with a steam engine weighing over 400 lbs. ...

Another notable advance was made in 1884, when the first fully controllable free-flight was made in a French Army electric-powered airship, La France, by Charles Renard and Arthur Krebs. The 170 foot long , 66,000 cubic foot airship covered 8 km (5 miles) in 23 minutes with the aid of an 8-1/2 horsepower electric motor. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Charles Renard (1847-1905), French military engineer, started to work after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71 on the design of air ships at the French army aeronautical department. ... Arthur Constantin Krebs (November 16, 1850 in Vesoul, France - March 22, 1935 in Quimperlé, France) was a french officer and pioneer in automotive engineering. ...

However, these aircraft were generally short-lived and extremely frail. Routine, controlled flights would not come to pass until the advent of the internal combustion engine (see below.)

Although airships were used in both World War I and II, and continue on a limited basis to this day, their development has been largely overshadowed by heavier-than-air craft. “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Toward better understanding

Sir George Cayley's governable parachute

The first published paper on aviation was "Sketch of a Machine for Flying in the Air" by Emanuel Swedenborg published in 1716. This flying machine consisted of a light frame covered with strong canvas and provided with two large oars or wings moving on a horizontal axis, arranged so that the upstroke met with no resistance while the downstroke provided lifting power. Swedenborg knew that the machine would not fly, but suggested it as a start and was confident that the problem would be solved. He said, "It seems easier to talk of such a machine than to put it into actuality, for it requires greater force and less weight than exists in a human body. The science of mechanics might perhaps suggest a means, namely, a strong spiral spring. If these advantages and requisites are observed, perhaps in time to come some one might know how better to utilize our sketch and cause some addition to be made so as to accomplish that which we can only suggest. Yet there are sufficient proofs and examples from nature that such flights can take place without danger, although when the first trials are made you may have to pay for the experience, and not mind an arm or leg." Swedenborg would prove prescient in his observation that powering the aircraft through the air was the crux of flying. Template:Public domain File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Template:Public domain File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Sir George Cayley, 6th Baronet (December 27, 1773 – December 15, 1857) was a prolific English engineer from Brompton-by-Sawdon, near Scarborough in Yorkshire. ... The Flying Machine, sketched in his notebook from 1714 Swedenborgs Flying Machine was first sketched by the Swedish scientist Emanuel Swedenborg in 1714, when he was 26 years old. ... Emanuel Swedenborg, 75, holding the manuscript of Apocalypsis Revelata (1766). ... // Events August 5 - In the Battle of Peterwardein 40. ...

During the last years of the 18th century, Sir George Cayley started the first rigorous study of the physics of flight. In 1799 he exhibited a plan for a glider, which except for planform was completely modern in having a separate tail for control and having the pilot suspended below the center of gravity to provide stability, and flew it as a model in 1804. Over the next five decades Cayley worked on and off on the problem, during which he invented most of basic aerodynamics and introduced such terms as lift and drag. He used both internal and external combustion engines, fueled by gunpowder, but it was left to Alphonse Penaud to make powering models simple, with rubber power. Later Cayley turned his research to building a full-scale version of his design, first flying it unmanned in 1849, and in 1853 his coachman made a short flight at Brompton, near Scarborough in Yorkshire. Sir George Cayley (27 December 1773 - 15 December 1857) was an exuberant polymath from Brompton-by-Sawdon, near Scarborough in Yorkshire. ... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... A planform or plan view is a vertical orthographic projection of an object on a horizontal plane, like a map. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... For the Daft Punk song, see Aerodynamic (song). ... The lift force, lifting force or simply lift is a mechanical force generated by solid objects as they move through a fluid. ... An object falling through a gas or liquid experiences a force in direction opposite to its motion. ... A colorized automobile engine The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of fuel and an oxidizer (typically air) occurs in a confined space called a combustion chamber. ... Alphonse Pénaud (1850–1880) was a major 19th century pioneer of aviation, inventor of the rubber powered model airplane and founder of the aviation industry. ... Brompton is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England, about 8 miles west of Scarborough itself, close to the North York Moors and on the A170 road. ... This article is on the English seaside resort. ...

In 1848, John Stringfellow had a successful test flight of a steam-powered model, in Chard, Somerset, England. This was 'unmanned'. Year 1848 (MDCCCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... John Stringfellows flying machine in the Science Museum, London. ... Map sources for Chard at grid reference ST3208 Chard is a town in the county of Somerset, England, situated on the A30 road near the Devon border, 15 miles south west of Yeovil. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

Model of Jan Wnęk's glider. Kraków Museum of Ethnography.

In 1866 a Polish peasant, sculptor and carpenter by the name of Jan Wnęk built and flew a controllable glider. Wnęk was illiterate and self-taught, and could only count on his knowledge about nature based on observation of birds' flight and on his own builder and carver skills. Jan Wnęk was firmly strapped to his glider by the chest and hips and controlled his glider by twisting the wing's trailing edge via strings attached to stirrups at his feet.[2] Church records indicate that Jan Wnęk launched from a special ramp on top of the Odporyszów church tower; The tower stood 45 m high and was located on top of a 50 m hill, making a 95 m (311 ft) high launch above the valley below. Jan Wnęk made several public flights of substantial distances between 1866 - 1869, especially during religious festivals, carnivals and New Year celebrations. Wnęk left no known written records or drawings, thus having no impact on aviation progress. Recently, Professor Tadeusz Seweryn, director of the Kraków Museum of Ethnography [3], has unearthed church records with descriptions of Jan Wnęk's activities. Wnęks Glider. ... Wnęks Glider. ... Model of Jan WnÄ™ks glider. ... 1866 (MDCCCLXVI) is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Model of Jan WnÄ™ks glider. ... 1866 (MDCCCLXVI) is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

Jean-Marie Le Bris and his flying machine, Albatros II, photographed by Pépin fils (Pépin jr), a Brestman photographer, 1868.

In 1856, Frenchman Jean-Marie Le Bris made the first flight higher than his point of departure, by having his glider "L'Albatros artificiel" pulled by a horse on a beach. He reportedly achieved a height of 100 meters, over a distance of 200 meters. Image File history File links LeBris1868. ... Image File history File links LeBris1868. ... Le Bris and his flying machine, Albatros II, photographed by Nadar, 1868. ... Year 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Le Bris and his flying machine, Albatros II, photographed by Nadar, 1868. ...

In 1874, Félix du Temple built the "Monoplane", a large plane made of aluminium in Brest, France, with a wingspan of 13 meters and a weight of only 80 kilograms (without the driver). Several trials were made with the plane, and it is generally recognized that it achieved lift off under its own power after a ski-jump run, glided for a short time and returned safely to the ground, making it the first successful powered flight in history, although the flight was only a short distance and a short time. Félix du Temple de la Croix (1823-1890). ... Félix du Temples 1874 Monoplane. ... Aluminum redirects here. ... Brest is a city in Brittany, or the Bretagne région, north-west France, sous-préfecture of the Finistère département. ... The distance AB is the wing span of this Aer Lingus Airbus A320. ...

Félix du Temple's 1874 Monoplane.

Another person who advanced the art of flying was Francis Herbert Wenham, who unsuccessfully attempted to build a series of unmanned gliders. During his work he found that the majority of the lift from a bird-like wing appeared to be generated at the front, and concluded that long, thin wings would be better than the bat-like ones suggested by many, because they would have more leading edge for their weight. Today this measure is known as aspect ratio. He presented a paper on his work to the newly formed Royal Aeronautical Society of Great Britain in 1866, and decided to prove it by building the world's first wind tunnel in 1871.^[9] Members of the Society used the tunnel and learned that cambered wings generated considerably more lift than expected by Cayley's Newtonian reasoning, with lift-to-drag ratios of about 5:1 at 15 degrees. This clearly demonstrated the ability to build practical heavier-than-air flying machines; what remained was the problem of powering them, and controlling the flight. Image File history File links 1874DuTemple. ... Image File history File links 1874DuTemple. ... Félix du Temple de la Croix (1823-1890). ... Year 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Félix du Temples 1874 Monoplane. ... The low aspect ratio wing of a Piper PA-28 Cherokee In aerodynamics, the aspect ratio is an airplanes wings span divided by its standard mean chord (SMC). ... Founded in 1866 The Royal Aeronautical Society is the worlds leading authority on aviation. ... NASA wind tunnel with the model of a plane A wind tunnel is a research tool developed to assist with studying the effects of air moving over or around solid objects. ... The camber in aerospace engineering is the asymmetry between the top and the bottom curves of an airfoil. ... In aerodynamics, the lift-to-drag ratio, or L/D ratio (ell-over-dee, as opposed to ell-dee), is the amount of lift generated by a wing, compared to the drag it creates by moving through the air. ... This article describes the unit of angle. ...

Picking up the pace

The 1880s became a period of intense study, characterized by the "gentleman scientists" who represented most research efforts until the 20th century. Starting in the 1880s advancements were made in construction that led to the first truly practical gliders. Three people in particular were active: Otto Lilienthal, Percy Pilcher and Octave Chanute. One of the first truly modern gliders appears to have been built by John J. Montgomery; it flew in a controlled manner outside of San Diego on August 28, 1883. It was not until many years later that his efforts became well known. Another delta hang-glider had been constructed by Wilhelm Kress as early as 1877 near Vienna. A gentleman scientist was a scientist with a private income who could pursue scientific study independently as he wished without excessive external financial pressures, in the days before large-scale government funding was available, up to the Victorian era, especially in England. ... For other uses, see Glider (disambiguation). ... Otto Lilienthal Otto Lilienthal (23 May 1848 – 10 August 1896), the German Glider King, was a pioneer of human aviation. ... Percy Sinclair Pilcher (January 1866 — 2 October 1899) was a British inventor and pioneer aviator who, in one of the big what if events of history, could well have become the first person to achieve controlled, powered, heavier-than-air flight well before the Wright brothers had he not been... Octave Chanute Octave Chanute (18 February 1832 - November 23, 1910) was a French-born American railroad engineer and aviation pioneer. ... John Joseph Montgomery (c. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Americas Finest City Location Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates , Government County San Diego Mayor City Attorney         City Council District One District Two District Three District Four District Five District Six District Seven District Eight Jerry Sanders (R) Michael Aguirre Scott Peters Kevin... is the 240th day of the year (241st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Wilhelm Kress Wilhelm Kress (* July 29th 1836 in Saint Petersburg; † February 24th 1913 in Vienna) was a pioneer in aviations and constructor of airplanes. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... For other uses, see Vienna (disambiguation). ...

Otto Lilienthal of Germany duplicated Wenham's work and greatly expanded on it in 1874, publishing all of his research in 1889. He also produced a series of ever-better gliders, and in 1891 was able to make flights of 25 meters or more routinely. He rigorously documented his work, including photographs, and for this reason is one of the best known of the early pioneers. He also promoted the idea of "jumping before you fly", suggesting that researchers should start with gliders and work their way up, instead of simply designing a powered machine on paper and hoping it would work. His type of aircraft is now know as a hang glider. Otto Lilienthal Otto Lilienthal (23 May 1848 – 10 August 1896), the German Glider King, was a pioneer of human aviation. ... For other uses, see Photograph (disambiguation). ... Hang gliding is one of the windsports. ...

Lilienthal knew that once an engine was attached to the plane it would be nearly impossible to further study the laws of aviation. The finding and describing of many of those laws were his greatest heritage to his successors, as they were able to construct their planes accordingly and thereby save themselves years of trial and error.

By the time of his death in 1896 he had made 2500 flights on a number of designs, when a gust of wind broke the wing of his latest design, causing him to fall from a height of roughly 56 ft (17 m), fracturing his spine. He died the next day, with his last words being "sacrifices must be made". Lilienthal had been working on small engines suitable for powering his designs at the time of his death.

Picking up where Lilienthal left off, Octave Chanute took up aircraft design after an early retirement, and funded the development of several gliders. In the summer of 1896 his troop flew several of their designs many times at Miller Beach, Indiana, eventually deciding that the best was a biplane design that looks surprisingly modern. Like Lilienthal, he heavily documented his work while photographing it, and was busy corresponding with like-minded hobbyists around the world. Chanute was particularly interested in solving the problem of natural stability of the aircraft in flight, one which birds corrected for by instinct, but one that humans would have to do manually. The most disconcerting problem was longitudinal stability, because as the angle of attack of a wing increased, the center of pressure moved forward and made the angle increase more. Without immediate correction, the craft would pitch up and stall. Octave Chanute Octave Chanute (18 February 1832 - November 23, 1910) was a French-born American railroad engineer and aviation pioneer. ... For other uses, see Indiana (disambiguation). ... The Center of Pressure (or CoP) is the point on a body where the sum of the total pressure acts. ... In aerodynamics, a stall is a condition in which an excessive angle of attack causes loss of lift due to disruption of airflow. ...

Patent drawings of Clément Ader's Eole, which accomplished the first self-propelled flight in history.

Clément Ader 'Avion III (1897 photograph).

Throughout this period, a number of attempts were made to produce a true powered aircraft. However the majority of these efforts were doomed to failure, being designed by hobbyists who did not have a full understanding of the problems being discussed by Lilienthal and Chanute. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x674, 231 KB) Summary Patent drawings of Clement Aders patent Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Aviation history Clément Ader ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x674, 231 KB) Summary Patent drawings of Clement Aders patent Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Aviation history Clément Ader ... Photograph of Ader Clément Ader (February 4, 1841 – March 5, 1926) was a French engineer born in Muret, Haute Garonne remembered primarily for his pioneering work in aviation. ... Image File history File links AderAvion3(1897). ... Image File history File links AderAvion3(1897). ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

In France Clément Ader successfully launched his steam powered Eole for a short 50 meter flight near Paris in 1890, making it the first self-propelled "long distance" flight in history. After this test he immediately turned to a larger design, which took five years to build. However, this design, the Avion III, was too heavy and was barely able to leave the ground. The plane reportedly managed to fly a distance of 300 meters, at a small height. Photograph of Ader Clément Ader (February 4, 1841 – March 5, 1926) was a French engineer born in Muret, Haute Garonne remembered primarily for his pioneering work in aviation. ... This article is about the capital of France. ...

In 1884, Alexander Mozhaysky's monoplane design made what is now considered to be a power assisted take off or 'hop' of 60-100 feet (20-30 meters) near Krasnoye Selo, Russia. Year 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Alexander Fyodorovich Mozhayskiy (Russian: ) (March 21 [O.S. March 9] 1825 in Rochensalm, current Kotka, Finland — 1 April [O.S. March 20] 1890 in Saint Petersburg) , was a Russian naval officer, aviation pioneer, researcher and designer of heavier-than-air-craft. ... A monoplane is an aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. ... Krasnoye Selo may also refer to a village formerly known as Hohensalzburg in Kaliningrad Oblast Krasnoye Selo (Russian: , lit. ...

Sir Hiram Maxim studied a series of designs in England, eventually building a monstrous 7,000 lb (3,175 kg) design with a wingspan of 105 feet (32 m), powered by two advanced low-weight steam engines which delivered 180 hp (134 kW) each. Maxim built it to study the basic problems of construction and power and it remained without controls, and, realizing that it would be unsafe to fly, he instead had a 1,800 foot (550 m) track constructed for test runs. After a number of test runs working out problems, on July 31, 1894 they started a series of runs at increasing power settings. The first two were successful, with the craft "flying" on the rails. In the afternoon the crew of three fired the boilers to full power, and after reaching over 42 mph (68 km/h) about 600 ft (180 m) down the track the machine produced so much lift it pulled itself free of the track and crashed after flying at low altitudes for about 200 feet (60 m). Declining fortunes left him unable to continue his work until the 1900s, when he was able to test a number of smaller designs powered by gasoline. Hiram S. Maxim Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim (February 4, 1840 - November 24, 1916) was the inventor of the Maxim Gun in 1884, the first portable, fully automatic machine gun. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... // The term steam engine may also refer to an entire railroad steam locomotive. ... is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Another less successful early experimenter was Samuel Pierpont Langley. After a distinguished career in astronomy and a tenure at the Smithsonian Institution, Langley started a serious investigation into aerodynamics at what is today the University of Pittsburgh. In 1891 he published Experiments in Aerodynamics detailing his research, and then turned to building his designs. On May 6, 1896, Langley's Aerodrome No.5 made the first successful flight of an unpiloted, engine-driven heavier-than-air craft of substantial size. It was launched from a spring-actuated catapult mounted on top of a houseboat on the Potomac River near Quantico, Virginia. Two flights were made that afternoon, one of 1,005 m (3,300 ft) and a second of 700 m (2,300 ft), at a speed of approximately 25 miles per hour. Samuel Pierpont Langley. ... For other uses, see Astronomy (disambiguation). ... The Smithsonian Institution Building or Castle on the National Mall serves as the Institutions headquarters. ... The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related, doctoral/research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. ...

On November 28, 1896, another successful flight was made with the Aerodrome No.6. This flight was witnessed and photographed by Alexander Graham Bell. It was flown a distance of approximately 1,460 m (4,790 ft).

In the United Kingdom an attempt at heavier-than-air flight was made by the aviation pioneer Percy Pilcher. Pilcher had built several working gliders, The Bat, The Beetle, The Gull and The Hawk, which he flew successfully during the mid to late 1890s. In 1899 he constructed a prototype powered aircraft which, recent research has shown, would have been capable of flight. However, he died in a glider accident before he was able to test it, and his plans were forgotten for many years. Percy Sinclair Pilcher (January 1866 — 2 October 1899) was a British inventor and pioneer aviator who, in one of the big what if events of history, could well have become the first person to achieve controlled, powered, heavier-than-air flight well before the Wright brothers had he not been... For other uses, see Glider (disambiguation). ... Year 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

1900 to 1914 (The "Pioneer Era")

Lighter than air

Main article: Airship

Main article: Zeppelin

Santos-Dumont #6 rounding the Eiffel Tower in the process of winning the Deutsch Prize. Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution (SI Neg. No. 85-3941)

The first aircraft to make routine controlled flights were non-rigid airships (later called "blimps".) The most successful early pioneer of this type of aircraft was the Brazilian Alberto Santos-Dumont. Santos-Dumont effectively combined a balloon with an internal combustion engine. On October 19, 1901 he became world famous when he flew his airship "Number 6" over Paris from the Parc Saint Cloud around the Eiffel Tower and back in under thirty minutes to win the Deutsch de la Meurthe prize. After this triumph in airships, Santos-Dumont would go on to design and build several aircraft. The subsequent controversy surrounding his and others' competing claims with regard to aircraft would come to overshadow and obscure his unparalleled contributions to the development of airships. USS Akron (ZRS-4) in flight, November 2, 1931 An airship or dirigible is a buoyant lighter-than-air aircraft that can be steered and propelled through the air. ... Zeppelins are a type of rigid airship pioneered by German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century, based in part on an earlier design by aviation pioneer David Schwarz. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1333x1800, 551 KB) Summary Santos-Dumont rounding the Eiffel Tower while in the process of winning the Deutsch prize on October 19, 1901. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1333x1800, 551 KB) Summary Santos-Dumont rounding the Eiffel Tower while in the process of winning the Deutsch prize on October 19, 1901. ... This article is about the aviator. ...

At the same time that non-rigid airships were starting to have some success, rigid airships were also becoming more advanced. Indeed, rigid body dirigibles would be far more capable than fixed wing aircraft in terms of pure cargo carrying capacity for decades. Dirigible design and advancement was brought about by the German count, Ferdinand von Zeppelin. For other uses, see Graf Zeppelin (disambiguation). ...

Construction of the first Zeppelin airship began in 1899 in a floating assembly hall on Lake Constance in the Bay of Manzell, Friedrichshafen. This was intended to ease the starting procedure, as the hall could easily be aligned with the wind. The prototype airship LZ 1 (LZ for "Luftschiff Zeppelin") had a length of 128 m, was driven by two 14.2 ps (10.6 kW) Daimler engines and balanced by moving a weight between its two nacelles. Zeppelins are a type of rigid airship pioneered by German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century, based in part on an earlier design by aviation pioneer David Schwarz. ... Friedrichshafen is a town on the northern side of Lake Constance (Bodensee) in southern Germany, near the borders with Switzerland and Austria. ...

The first Zeppelin flight occurred on July 2, 1900. It lasted for only 18 minutes, as LZ 1 was forced to land on the lake after the winding mechanism for the balancing weight had broken. Upon repair, the technology proved its potential in subsequent flights, beating the 6 m/s velocity record of French airship La France by 3 m/s, but could not yet convince possible investors. It would be several years before the Count was able to raise enough funds for another try. is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ...

Langley

Main article: Samuel Pierpont Langley

Aviation experiment on the Potomac River, 1903, by Samuel Pierpont Langley.

On May 6, 1896, Langley's Aerodrome No.5 made the first successful flight of an unpiloted, engine-driven heavier-than-air craft of substantial size. It was launched from a spring-actuated catapult mounted on top of a houseboat on the Potomac River near Quantico, Virginia. Two flights were made that afternoon, one of 1,005 m (3,300 ft) and a second of 700 m (2,300 ft), at a speed of approximately 25 miles per hour. On both occasions, the Aerodrome No.5 landed in the water, as planned, because, in order to save weight, it was not equipped with landing gear. Samuel Pierpont Langley. ... Image File history File links Samuel_Pierpont_Langley_-_Potomac_experiment_1903. ... Image File history File links Samuel_Pierpont_Langley_-_Potomac_experiment_1903. ... The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). ... Samuel Pierpont Langley. ...

On November 28, 1896, another successful flight was made with the Aerodrome No.6. This flight was witnessed and photographed by Alexander Graham Bell. It was flown a distance of approximately 1,460 m (4,790 ft). The Aerodrome No.6 was actually Aerodrome No.4 greatly modified. So little remained of the original aircraft that it was given the new designation of Aerodrome No.6. Alexander Graham Bell (3 March 1847 - 2 August 1922) was a Scottish scientist, inventor and innovator. ...

With the success of the Aerodrome No. 5 and its follow-on No. 6, Langley started looking for funding to build a full-scale man-carrying version of his designs. Spurred by the Spanish-American War, the U.S. government granted him $50,000 to develop a man-carrying flying machine for surveillance. Langley planned on building a scaled-up version known as the Aerodrome A, and started with the smaller Quarter-scale Aerodrome, which flew twice on June 18, 1901, and then again with a newer and more powerful engine in 1903. Combatants United States Republic of Cuba Philippine Republic Spain Commanders Nelson A. Miles William R. Shafter George Dewey Máximo Gómez Emilio Aguinaldo Patricio Montojo Pascual Cervera Arsenio Linares Ramón Blanco Casualties 3,289 U.S. dead (432 from combat); considerably higher although undetermined Cuban and Filipino casualties...

With the basic design apparently successfully tested, he then turned to the problem of a suitable engine. He contracted Stephen Balzer to build him one, but was disappointed when it delivered only 8 horsepower (6 kW) instead of 12 hp (9 kW) as he expected. Langley's assistant, Charles M. Manly, then reworked the design into a five-cylinder water-cooled radial that delivered 52 horsepower (39 kW) at 950 rpm, a feat that took years to duplicate. Now with both power and a design, Langley put the two together with great hopes. This article is about a unit of measurement. ...

To his dismay, the resulting aircraft proved to be too fragile. He had apparently overlooked the effects of minimum gauge, and simply scaling up the original small models resulted in a design that was too heavy to hold itself up. Two launches in late 1903 both ended with the Aerodrome crashing into the water almost immediately after launch. Minimum Gauge Railways have a gauge of less than 2 ft (610 mm), most commonly 15 in (381 mm), 400 mm (15 in), 18 in (457 mm) or 500 mm (1 ft 7 in). ...

His attempts to gain further funding failed, and his efforts ended -- only weeks later the Wright brothers successfully flew their aptly-named Flyer. The Wright brothers, Orville (August 19, 1871–January 30, 1948) and Wilbur (April 16, 1867–May 30, 1912), were two Americans generally credited with building the worlds first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and heavier-than-air human flight on December 17, 1903. ...

(Glenn Curtiss made several modifications to the Aerodrome and successfully flew it in 1914 -- the Smithsonian Institution thus continued to boast that Langley's Aerodrome was the first machine "capable of flight".) Glenn H. Curtiss at the Grande Semaine dAviation in France in 1909 Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 – July 23, 1930) was an aviation pioneer and founder of the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, now part of Curtiss-Wright Corporation. ... Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

The Wright Brothers

Main article: Wright brothers

Following Lilienthal's principles of jumping before flying, the brothers built and tested a series of kite and glider designs from 1900 to 1902 before attempting to build a powered design. The gliders worked, but not as well as the Wrights had expected based on the experiments and writings of their 19th century predecessors. Their first glider, launched in 1900, had only about half the lift they anticipated. Their second glider, built the following year, performed even more poorly. Rather than giving up, the Wrights constructed their own wind tunnel and created a number of sophisticated devices to measure lift and drag on the 200 wing designs they tested. As a result, the Wrights corrected earlier mistakes in calculations regarding drag and lift, though they missed the effect of Reynolds number (known since 1883), which would have given them an even bigger advantage. Their testing and calculating produced a third glider design, which they flew in 1902. It performed far better than the previous models. In the end, by establishing their rigorous system of designing, wind-tunnel testing of models and flight testing of full-size prototypes, the Wrights not only built a working aircraft but also helped advance the modern science of aeronautical engineering. The Wright brothers, Orville (August 19, 1871–January 30, 1948) and Wilbur (April 16, 1867–May 30, 1912), were two Americans generally credited with building the worlds first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and heavier-than-air human flight on December 17, 1903. ... In fluid mechanics, the Reynolds number is the ratio of inertial forces (vsρ) to viscous forces (μ/L) and consequently it quantifies the relative importance of these two types of forces for given flow conditions. ... Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

The Wright Flyer: the first sustained flight with a powered, controlled aircraft.

The Wrights appear to be the first design team to make serious studied attempts to simultaneously solve the power and control problems. Both problems proved difficult, but they never lost interest. Eventually, they designed and built an engine that could provide the needed power, and solved the control problem through a system known as "wing warping". Although this method was used only briefly during the history of aviation, it worked at the low airspeeds their designs would fly at, and proved to be a key advance, leading directly to modern ailerons. While many aviation pioneers appeared to leave safety largely to chance, the Wrights' design was greatly influenced by the need to teach themselves to fly without unreasonable risk to life and limb, by surviving crashes. This, not lack of power, was the reason for the low speed and for taking off in a head wind. It was also the reason for the rear-heavy design, for the canard, and for the anhedral wings. Download high resolution version (899x576, 106 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Download high resolution version (899x576, 106 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... The Wright Flyer (often retrospectively referred to as Flyer I and occasionally Kitty Hawk) was the first powered aircraft designed and built by the Wright brothers. ... For the band with a similar name, see The Ailerons Ailerons are hinged control surfaces attached to the trailing edge of the wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... In geometry, the dihedral is the angle between two planes. ...

The Wrights made the first sustained, controlled and powered heavier-than-air flight at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, a town five miles down the road from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903 Kill Devil Hills is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, USA. The population was 5,897 at the 2000 census. ... Kitty Hawk is a town located in Dare County, North Carolina. ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ...

The first flight by Orville Wright, of 121 feet (37 m) in 12 seconds, was recorded in a famous photograph. In the fourth flight of the same day, Wilbur Wright flew 852 feet (260 m) in 59 seconds. The flights were witnessed by 4 lifesavers and a boy from the village, making them the first public flights and certainly the first well-documented ones. Orville Wright (August 19, 1871 - January 30, 1948), the younger of the Wright brothers, seen as one of the fathers of heavier-than-air flight. ... Wilbur Wright (April 16, 1867 - May 30, 1912), the elder of the Wright brothers, seen as one of the fathers of heavier-than-air flight. ...

The telegram station the Wright Brothers used to send their message of successful, sustained, powered flight is now a restaurant named "The Black Pelican."

Other early flights

Main article: List of aviation pioneers

At the time, around the years 1900 to 1910, a number of other inventors had made (or claimed to have made) short flights. Many persons claims to be the first true aviation, however today it is a fairly accepted fact that the Wright brothers were the first to fill the requirements for a manned, powered, heavier-than-air flight. ...

On August 14, 1901, in Fairfield, Connecticut. Gustave Whitehead reportedly flew his engine-powered Number 21 800 meters at 15 meters height, according to articles in the Bridgeport Herald, the New York Herald and the Boston Transcript. No photographs were taken, but a sketch of the plane in the air was made by a reporter for the Bridgeport Herald, Dick Howell, who was present. This date precedes the Wright brothers' Kitty Hawk, North Carolina flight by more than two years. is the 226th day of the year (227th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. ... Gustave Albin Whitehead, born Gustav Albin Weißkopf (January 1, 1874 – October 10 1927 Gustave Whitehead with an early engine. ... Number 21 was the name of the aeroplane Gustave Whitehead allegedly flew with on August 14, 1901 - two years before the Wright brothers first flight. ... The New York Herald was a large distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between May 6, 1835 and 1924. ... The Wright brothers, Orville (August 19, 1871–January 30, 1948) and Wilbur (April 16, 1867–May 30, 1912), were two Americans generally credited with building the worlds first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and heavier-than-air human flight on December 17, 1903. ... Kitty Hawk is a town located in Dare County, North Carolina. ...

According to other witness reports, Whitehead had flown about 1 km (half a mile) in Pittsburgh as early as 1899. In January 1902, he claimed to have flown 10 km (7 miles) over Long Island Sound in the improved Number 22.

The sketch by Dick Howell, August 14, 1901.

Two modern replicas of his Number 21 have been flown successfully. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Number 21 was the name of the aeroplane Gustave Whitehead allegedly flew with on August 14, 1901 - two years before the Wright brothers first flight. ...

Lyman Gilmore also claimed to have achieved success on 15 May, 1902. Gilmores second, larger plane Drawing of the smaller first plane Gilmore Flying Field One of Gilmores inventions, an 8-cylinder radial engine Lyman Gilmore, (June 11, 1874 – February 18, 1951), was an aviation pioneer. ... is the 135th day of the year (136th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

In New Zealand, South Canterbury farmer and inventor Richard Pearse constructed a monoplane aircraft that he reputedly flew on March 31 1903. However, even Pearse himself admitted the flight was uncontrolled and ended in a crash-landing on a hedge without having gained any altitude. Richard Pearse Richard William Pearse (3 December 1877 — 29 July 1953), a New Zealand farmer and inventor, performed pioneering experiments in aviation. ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Karl Jatho from Hanover conducted a short motorized flight in August 1903, just a few months after Pearse. Jatho's wing design and airspeed did not allow his control surfaces to act properly to control the aircraft. Karl Jatho (February 3, 1873 - December 8, 1933) was a German pioneer and inventor, performer and public servant of the city of Hanover. ... , Hanover(i) (German: , IPA: ), on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany. ... 1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ...

Also in the summer of 1903, eyewitnesses claimed to have seen Preston Watson make his initial flights at Errol, near Dundee in the east of Scotland. Once again, however, lack of photographic or documentary evidence makes the claim difficult to verify. Many claims of flight are complicated by the fact that many early flights were done at such low altitude that they did not clear the ground effect, and by the complexities involved in the differences between unpowered and powered aircraft. 1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Preston Watson (1880-1915) was a Scottish aviation pioneer, which is sometimes said to have been the first true aviator. ... Errol is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland about halfway between Dundee and Perth. ... For other uses, see Dundee (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ... Aircraft may be affected by a number of ground effects, aerodynamic effects due to a flying bodys proximity to the ground. ...

The Wright Brothers conducted numerous additional flights (about 150) in 1904 and 1905 from Huffman Prairie in Dayton, Ohio and invited friends and relatives. Newspaper reporters did not pay attention after seeing an unsuccessful flight attempt in May 1904. For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... Visitors Center at Huffman Prairie Reproduction of the Wright brothers 1905 hangar and catapult Huffman Prairie, JANES OLD HOMEGUESS WHO WAS HERE??, part of Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, is an 84 acre (.34 km²) patch of rough pasture outside Dayton, Ohio now known as Huffman Prairie Flying... : Gem City : Birthplace of Aviation United States Ohio Montgomery 56. ...

Public exhibitions of high altitude flights were made by Daniel Maloney in the John Montgomery tandem-wing glider in March and April of 1905 in the Santa Clara, California area. These flights received national media attention and demonstrated superior control of the design, with launches as high as 4,000 feet and landings made at predetermined locations. John Montgomery is a name shared by several notable men: John Montgomery (died 1794), U.S. pioneer in Tennessee John Montgomery (1722-1808), U.S. merchant, Continental Congressman for Pennsylvania John Montgomery (1764-1828), U.S. lawyer, Congressman from Maryland John Gallagher Montgomery (1805-1857), U.S. lawyer, Congresman for... Location of Santa Clara within Santa Clara County, California. ...

14 Bis

Alberto Santos-Dumont made a public flight in Europe on September 13, 1906 in Paris. He used a canard elevator and pronounced wing dihedral, and covered a distance of 221 m (725 ft). Since the plane did not need headwinds or catapults to take off, this flight is considered by some as the first true powered flight. Also, since the earlier attempts of Pearse, Jatho, Watson, and the Wright brothers received less attention from the popular press than Santos-Dumont's flight, its importance to society, especially in Europe and Brazil, is often considered to be greater despite occurring some years later. Download high resolution version (2675x1462, 1692 KB)photo of the 14 bis. ... Download high resolution version (2675x1462, 1692 KB)photo of the 14 bis. ... (Redirected from 14 Bis) Santos-Dumont in his trademark Panama hat. ... This article is about the aviator. ... is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... For other meanings of elevator see Elevator (disambiguation). ...

Two English inventors Henry Farman and John William Dunne were also working separately on powered flying machines. In January 1908, Farman won the Grand Prix d'Aviation with a machine which flew for 1 km, though by this time many longer flights had already been done. For example, the Wright Brothers had made flights over 39 km long by 1905. Dunne's early work was sponsored by the British military, and tested in great secrecy in Glen Tilt in the Scottish Highlands. His best early design, the D4, flew in December 1908 near Blair Atholl in Perthshire. Dunne's main contribution to early aviation was stability, which was a key problem with the planes designed by the Wright brothers and Samuel Cody. Henry Farman Henry Farman (May 26, 1874 - July 18, 1958) was a French aviator and aircraft designer and manufacturer with his brother Maurice Farman. ... John William Dunne (1866 - 1949) established his career as an aeronautical engineer working on many early military aircraft. ... Year 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The armed forces of the United Kingdom are known as the British Armed Forces or Her Majestys Armed Forces, officially the Armed Forces of the Crown. ... Glen Tilt is a glen in the extreme north of Perthshire, Scotland. ... Lowland-Highland divide Highland Sign with welcome in English and Gaelic The Scottish Highlands (A Ghàidhealtachd in Gaelic) include the rugged and mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault. ... Year 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Blair Atholl is a small town in Perthshire, Scotland. ... Perthshire (Siorrachd Pheairt in Gaelic) was a county in central Scotland, which extended from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south. ... Samuel Franklin Cowdery (later known as S F Cody was (b. ...

On May 14, 1908 the Wright Brothers made what is accepted to be the first two-person aircraft flight, with Charlie Furnas as a passenger. May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The Wright brothers, Orville (August 19, 1871–January 30, 1948) and Wilbur (April 16, 1867–May 30, 1912), were two Americans generally credited with building the worlds first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and heavier-than-air human flight on December 17, 1903. ...

On 8 July 1908, Thérèse Peltier became the first woman to fly as a passenger in an airplane when she made a flight of 656 feet with Léon Delagrange in Milan, Italy.

Thomas Selfridge became the first person killed in a powered aircraft on September 17, 1908, when Orville crashed his two-passenger plane during military tests at Fort Myer in Virginia. First Lieutenant Thomas Etholen Selfridge (February 8, 1882 – September 17, 1908) was the first person to die in a powered aircraft crash. ... is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Orville Wright flying at Fort Myer, September 17, 1908. ...

In late 1908, Mrs Hart O. Berg became the first American woman to fly as a passenger in an airplane when she flew with Wilbur Wright in Le Mans, France. Le Mans is a city in France, located at the Sarthe River. ...

On 25 July 1909 Louis Blériot flew the Blériot XI monoplane across the English Channel winning the Daily Mail aviation prize. His flight from Calais to Dover lasted 37 minutes. is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Louis Blériot Louis Blériot (July 1, 1872 – August 2, 1936) was a French inventor and engineer, who performed the first flight over a large body of water in a heavier-than-air craft. ... Designed by Louis Blériot and Raymond Saulnier (of Morane-Saulnier) the Blériot XI was a light and sleek monoplane constructed of oak and poplar. ... For the Thoroughbred racehorse of the same name, see English Channel (horse). ... Between 1907 and 1919 the Daily Mail newspaper awarded fourteen prizes for achievements in aviation. ...

On 22 October 1909 Raymonde de Laroche became the first woman to pilot and solo in a powered heavier than air craft. She was also the first woman in the world to receive a pilot's licence. is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Raymonde de LaRoche in August 1909 Raymonde de LaRoche (born Elise Roche on August 22, 1884 - died July 18, 1919) was the first woman to be made a pilot. ...

Controversy over who gets credit for invention of the aircraft has been fuelled by Pearse's and Jatho's essentially non-existent efforts to inform the popular press, by the Wrights' secrecy while their patent was prepared, by the pride of nations, and by the number of firsts made possible by the basic invention. For example, the Romanian engineer Traian Vuia (1872 - 1950) has also been claimed to have built the first self-propelled, heavier-than-air aircraft able to take off autonomously, without a headwind and entirely driven by its own power. Vuia piloted the aircraft he designed and built on March 18, 1906, at Montesson, near Paris. None of his flights were longer than 100 feet (30 m) in length. In comparison, in October 1905, the Wright brothers had a sustained flight of 39 minutes and 24.5 miles (39 km), circling over Huffman Prairie. Traian Vuias flying machine (March 18, 1906) Traian Vuia (August 17, 1872 - September 3, 1950) was a Romanian inventor, designed and built a self-propelling heavier-than-air aircraft. ... Year 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Helicopter

In 1877 Enrico Forlanini developed an early unmanned helicopter powered by a steam engine. It was the first of its type that rose to a height of 13 meters, where it remained for some 20 seconds, after a vertical take-off from a park in Milan. Enrico Forlanini. ...

Paul Cornu's helicopter, built in 1907, was the first flying machine to have risen from the ground using rotor blades instead of wings.

The first manned helicopter known to have risen off the ground took place in 1907 (Cornu, France) though the first practical helicopter was the Focke FA-61 (Germany, 1936). Image File history File links HE2G8. ... Image File history File links HE2G8. ... Paul Cornu, manufacturing cycles, he was the first piloted free flight in a rotary wing aircraft at Lisieux, Calvados, France on November 13, 1907. ... For other uses, see Helicopter (disambiguation). ... Year 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Seaplane

The first seaplane, the French 1910 Le Canard

The first seaplane was invented in March 1910 by the French engineer Henri Fabre. Its name was Le Canard ('the duck'), and took off from the water and flew 800 meters on its first flight on March 28, 1910. These experiments were closely followed by the aircraft pioneers Gabriel and Charles Voisin, who purchased several of the Fabre floats and fitted them to their Canard Voisin airplane. In October 1910, the Canard Voisin became the first seaplane to fly over the river Seine, and in March 1912, the first seaplane to be used militarily from a seaplane carrier, La Foudre ('the lightning'). Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1036x732, 69 KB) This picture may have usage restrictions Henri Fabres first float plane Source: Net File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Seaplane Henri Fabre Le Canard... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1036x732, 69 KB) This picture may have usage restrictions Henri Fabres first float plane Source: Net File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Seaplane Henri Fabre Le Canard... The 1910 Le Canard Le Canard (lit. ... Henri Fabre in 1910 Henri Fabre (born in Marseille on 29 November 1882, died in 1984) was a French aviator and the inventor of Le Canard, the first seaplane in History. ... The 1910 Le Canard Le Canard (lit. ... is the 87th day of the year (88th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Henry Farman, left, and Gabriel Voisin. ... The Canard Voisin was a plane developed by Gabriel and Charles Voisin in 1910. ... This article is about the river in France. ... La Foudre was a French seaplane carrier, and arguably the first seaplane carrier in history [1]. Her development followed the invention of the seaplane in 1910 with the French Le Canard. ...

1914 - 1918: World War I

Main article: World War I Aviation

Almost as soon as they were invented, planes were drafted for military service. The first country to use planes for military purposes was Bulgaria, whose planes attacked and reconnoitred the Ottoman positions during the First Balkan War 1912-13. The first war to see major use of planes in offensive, defensive and reconnaissance capabilities was World War I. The Allies and Central Powers both used planes extensively. The most famous plane of the war is the Sopwith Camel; it was credited with more aerial victories than any other Allied plane, but was also notorious for its awkward handling resulting in the death of many pilots. Nieuport Fighter Aisne, France 1917 The Early Years of War The early years of war saw canvas-and-wood aircraft used primarily to function as mobile observation vehicles. ... Ottoman redirects here. ... Combatants  Ottoman Empire Balkan League: Bulgaria Greece Montenegro Serbia Commanders Nazim Pasha, Zekki Pasha, Essad Pasha, Abdullah Pasha, Ali Rizah Pasha Vasil Kutinchev, Nikola Ivanov, Radko Dimitriev Crown Prince Constantine, Panagiotis Danglis, Pavlos Kountouriotis King Nicholas I, Prince Danilo Petrović, Mitar Martinović, Janko Vukotić Radomir Putnik, Petar Bojović, Stepa Stepanovi... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Map of the World showing the participants in World War I. Those fighting on the Allies side (at one point or another) are depicted in green, the Central Powers in orange, and neutral countries in gray. ... European military alliances in 1914. ... The Sopwith Camel Scout is a British First World War single-seat fighter aircraft that was famous for its maneuverability. ...

While the concept of using the aeroplane as a weapon of war was generally laughed at before World War I, the idea of using it for photography was one that was not lost on any of the major forces. All of the major forces in Europe had light aircraft, typically derived from pre-war sporting designs, attached to their reconnaissance departments. While early efforts were hampered by the light loads carried, improved two-seat designs soon appeared that were entirely practical. “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Mixed reconnaissance patrol of the Polish Home Army and the Soviet Red Army during Operation Tempest, 1944 Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering of information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ...

It was not long before aircraft were shooting at each other, but the lack of any sort of steady point for the gun was a problem. The French solved this problem when, in late 1914, Roland Garros attached a fixed machine gun to the front of his plane, but it was Adolphe Pegoud who would become known as the first "ace", getting credit for five victories, before also becoming the first ace to die in action. Roland Garros Roland Garros (October 6, 1888 – October 25, 1918) was an early French aviator and a fighter aircraft pilot during World War I. Garros was born in Saint-Denis, Réunion. ... Adolphe Celestin Pegoud (1889-1915) was a well known French aviator who became the first fighter ace. ... The Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, perhaps the most famous ace of all The first ace, Adolphe Pegoud being awarded the Croix de Guerre A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. ...

Aviators were styled as modern day knights, doing individual combat with their enemies. Several pilots became famous for their air to air combats, the most well-known is Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron, who shot down 80 planes in air to air combat with several different planes, the most celebrated of which was the Fokker Dr.I. On the allied side, René Paul Fonck is credited with the most victories at 75. For the Americans, the most successful ace was Eddie Rickenbacker with 26 victories. Red Baron redirects here. ... Dog fight is a common term used to describe close-range aerial combat between military aircraft. ... The Fokker Dr. I Dreidecker (triplane) was a World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz and built by the company led by Anthony Fokker. ... Cover of Time Magazine (August 23, 1926) René Paul Fonck (27 March 1894–18 June 1953) ended the Great War at the top of the list of all Allied fighter aces. ... Eddie Rickenbacker (October 8, 1890 – July 27, 1973) was best known as a World War I fighter ace and Medal of Honor recipient. ...

German Taube monoplane, illustration from 1917

Download high resolution version (600x925, 43 KB)German military monoplane 1917 Front page of the New York Times Mid-Week Pictorial, January 1st 1917, and therefore with expired copyrights. ... Download high resolution version (600x925, 43 KB)German military monoplane 1917 Front page of the New York Times Mid-Week Pictorial, January 1st 1917, and therefore with expired copyrights. ... 24. ... A monoplane is an aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ...

1918 - 1939 (The "Golden Age")

The years between World War I and World War II saw a large advancement in aircraft technology. “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Aircraft evolved from being constructed of mostly wood and canvas to being constructed almost entirely of aluminium. Engine development proceeded apace, with engines moving from in-line water cooled gasoline engines to rotary and radial air cooled engines, with a commensurate increase in propulsive power. Pushing all of this forward were prizes for distance and speed records. For example Charles Lindbergh took the Orteig Prize of $25,000 for his solo non-stop crossing of the Atlantic, the first person to achieve this, although not the first to carry out a non-stop crossing. That was achieved eight years earlier when Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Brown co-piloted a Vickers Vimy nonstop from St. John's, Newfoundland to Clifden, Ireland on June 14, 1919, winning the £10,000 ($50,000) Northcliffe prize. Look up Canvas in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Aluminum redirects here. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The radial engine is an internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel. ... Charles Augustus Lindbergh (4 February 1902 – 26 August 1974), known as Lucky Lindy and The Lone Eagle, was an American pilot famous for the first solo, non-stop flight across the Atlantic, from Roosevelt Field, Long Island to Paris in 1927 in the Spirit of St. ... Charles Lindbergh (left) and Raymond Orteig The Orteig Prize was a $25,000 reward offered in 1919 by hotel owner Raymond Orteig to the first allied aviator(s) to fly non-stop from New York City to Paris or vice-versa. ... Statue of Alcock and Brown at London Heathrow Airport. ... Statue of Alcock and Brown at London Heathrow Airport. ... The Vickers Vimy was a British heavy bomber aircraft of the World War I era. ... Motto: Quaerite Prime Regnum Dei (Latin: Seek ye first the kingdom of God) Anthem: Ode to Newfoundland Capital St. ... is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

After WWI experienced fighter pilots were eager to show off their new skills. Many American pilots became barnstormers, flying into small towns across the country and showing off their flying abilities, as well as taking paying passengers for rides. Eventually the barnstormers grouped into more organized displays. Air shows sprang up around the country, with air races, acrobatic stunts, and feats of air superiority. The air races drove engine and airframe development - the Schneider Trophy for example led to a series of ever faster and sleeker monoplane designs culminating in the Supermarine S.6B, a direct forerunner of the Spitfire. With pilots competing for cash prizes, there was an incentive to go faster. Amelia Earhart was perhaps the most famous of those on the barnstorming/air show circuit. She was also the first female pilot to achieve records such as crossing of the Atlantic and English channels. Barnstorming was a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s in which stunt pilots would perform tricks with airplanes, often in groups as a flying circus. ... The Schneider Trophy The Schneider Trophy (or prize or cup) for seaplanes was announced by Jacques Schneider, a financier, balloonist and aircraft enthusiast, in 1911 with a prize of roughly £1,000. ... A monoplane is an aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. ... The Supermarine S.6B was a racing seaplane developed by Reginald Mitchell for the Supermarine company in order to win the Schneider Trophy in 1931. ... The Supermarine Spitfire was a British single-seat fighter, which was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries during the Second World War, and into the 1950s. ... Amelia Mary Earhart (24 July 1897 – missing 2 July 1937, declared deceased 5 January 1939) was a noted American aviation pioneer, author and womens rights advocate. ...

The first lighter-than-air crossings of the Atlantic were made by airship in July 1919 by His Majesty's Airship R34 and crew when they flew from East Lothian, Scotland to Long Island, New York and then back to Pulham, England. By 1929, airship technology had advanced to the point that the first round-the-world flight was completed by the Graf Zeppelin in September and in October, the same aircraft inaugurated the first commercial transatlantic service. However the age of the dirigible ended in 1937 with the terrible fire aboard the Zeppelin Hindenburg. After the now famous footage of the hydrogen-filled Hindenburg burning and crashing on the Lakehurst, New Jersey, landing field, people stopped using airships, despite the fact that most people on board survived. The Hindenburg, combined with the Winged Foot Express disaster that occurred on 21 July, 1919, in Chicago, Illinois, in which 12 civilians died, started the demise of the airship. Flammable gas dirigibles did not burn and crash often, but when they did crash they caused a disproportionate amount of destruction to the crash zone compared with the aeroplanes of the time. It was more shock value than the number of fatalities that caused the retirement of the world's airships. This may not have been the case had helium been available to the Zeppelin company. The United States, holder of the world's only reserves of helium at the time, was loathe to supply it to the company, which was based in Germany. The R34 was a British airship built by Beardmore in Inchinnan, Renfrew making its first flight on the 14 March 1919. ... East Lothian (Lodainn an Ear in Gaelic) is one of 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. ... This article is about the country. ... This article is about the island in New York State. ... This article is about the state. ... Pulham is a village in north Dorset, England, situated in the Blackmore Vale seven miles south east of Sherborne. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Graf Zeppelin, filled with abundant hydrogen, circumnavigated the globe. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Zeppelins are a type of rigid airship pioneered by German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century, based in part on an earlier design by aviation pioneer David Schwarz. ... LZ 129 Hindenburg was a German zeppelin that was destroyed by fire while landing at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey on May 6, 1937. ... Lakehurst is a borough located in Ocean County, New Jersey. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ...

In 1929 Jimmy Doolittle developed instrument flight. General James Harold Jimmy Doolittle, Sc. ... Six basic instruments in a light twin-engine airplane arranged in the basic-T. From top left: airspeed indicator, attitude indicator, altimeter, turn coordinator, heading indicator, and vertical speed indicator Most aircraft are equipped with a standard set of flight instruments which give the pilot information about the aircrafts...

In the 1930s development of the jet engine began in Germany and in England. In England Frank Whittle patented a design for a jet engine in 1930 and began developing an engine towards the end of the decade. In Germany Hans von Ohain patented his version of a jet engine in 1936 and began developing a similar engine. The two men were unaware of each others work, and both Germany and Britain had developed jet aircraft by the end of World War II. A Pratt and Whitney turbofan engine for the F-15 Eagle is tested at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, USA. The tunnel behind the engine muffles noise and allows exhaust to escape. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Frank Whittle speaking to employees of the Flight Propulsion Research Laboratory (Now known as the NASA Glenn Research Center), USA, in 1946 Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907–9 August 1996) was an English Royal Air Force officer and is seen as the... Hans Joachim Pabst von Ohain (December 14, 1911 – March 13, 1998) was one of the inventors of jet propulsion. ...

1939 - 1945: World War II

B-29 Superfortress, a Heavy Bomber

See Also: List of aircraft of World War II

World War II saw a drastic increase in the pace of aircraft development and production. All countries involved in the war stepped up development and production of aircraft and flight based weapon delivery systems, such as the first long range bomber. Fighters were critical to the success of the heavy bombers, allowing much lower losses than would have been the case without fighter protection. Boeing B-29 Superfortress, I have no information on this particular aircraft. ... Boeing B-29 Superfortress, I have no information on this particular aircraft. ... The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was a four-engine heavy bomber propeller aircraft flown by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and other military organizations afterwards. ... The List of aircraft of World War II includes all aircraft and aerial vehicles used by the combatants of World War II. It is also appropriate to list aircraft and vehicles developed but not operationally used in the war, as well as certain rockets and missiles. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

World War II saw a number of technological advances that were remarkable for its day: The first functional jetplane was the Heinkel He 178 (Germany), flown by Erich Warsitz in 1939 (a Coanda-1910 is said to have done a short involuntary flight on 16 December 1910). The first cruise missile (V-1), the first ballistic missile (V-2), and the first manned rocket Bachem Ba 349 were also developed by Germany. However, the small number of Jet fighters did not have significant impact, the V-1 was not very effective as it was slow and vulnerable, and the V-2 could not hit targets precisely enough. The Heinkel He 178 was the worlds first aircraft to fly under turbojet power, and the first practical jet plane. ... Erich Warsitz († 12 July 1983) was a German test pilot of the 1930s. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Coanda-1910 was an aircraft built by Romanian inventor Henri Coanda and exhibited by him at the Second International Aeronautical Exhibition in Paris around October 1910. ... is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The V-1 (German: Vergeltungswaffe 1) was the first guided missile used in war and the forerunner of todays cruise missile. ... For other uses, see V2. ... Bachem Ba 349 Natter (Adder) was a World War II era German experimental rocket-powered interceptor aircraft which was to be used in a very similar way as surface-to-air missiles. ...

The following table shows how aircraft production in the United States drastically increased over the course of the war.

1945 - 1991: The Cold War

D.H. Comet, the world's first jet airliner. As in this picture, it also saw RAF service

Commercial Aviation took hold after World War II using mostly ex-military aircraft in the business of transporting people and goods. Within a few years many companies existed, with routes that criss-crossed North America, Europe and other parts of the world. This was accelerated due to the glut of heavy and super-heavy bomber airframes like the B-29 and Lancaster that could easily be converted into commercial aircraft. The DC-3 also made for easier and longer commercial flights. The first North American commercial jet airliner to fly was the Avro C102 Jetliner in September 1949, shortly after the British Comet. By 1952, the British state airline BOAC had introduced the De Havilland Comet into scheduled service. While a technical achievement, the plane suffered a series of highly public failures, as the shape of the windows led to cracks due to metal fatigue. The fatigue was caused by cycles of pressurization and depressurization of the cabin, and eventually led to catastrophic failure of the plane's fuselage. By the time the problems were overcome, other jet airliner designs had already taken to the skies. USSR's Aeroflot became the first airline in the world to operate sustained regular jet services on 15 September 1956 with the Tupolev Tu-104. Boeing 707, which established new levels of comfort, safety and passenger expectations, ushered in the age of mass commercial air travel as we enjoy it today. Image File history File links DeHavilland_Comet. ... Image File history File links DeHavilland_Comet. ... This article is about the de Havilland Comet jet airliner. ... RAF redirects here. ... Passengers carried by civil aviation in 2003 Commercial aviation is the part of civil aviation (both general aviation and scheduled airline service) that involves operating aircraft for hire. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Avro Lancaster was a British four-engine Second World War bomber aircraft made initially by Avro for the British Royal Air Force (RAF). ... Douglas DC-3 VH-AES at Avalon in 2003. ... Avro Canada C-102 Rolls-Royce Derwent Engine, used in the Avro Jetliner The C-102 Jetliner was a medium-range jet airliner built by Avro Canada in 1949. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... BOAC Logo The British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946. ... This article is about the de Havilland Comet jet airliner. ... JSC Aeroflot - Russian Airlines (Russian: ) (MICEX:AFLT RTS:AFLT), or Aeroflot (Russian: ) as the airline is commonly known, is the Russian flag carrier and the largest airline in Russia. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A car from 1956 Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Tupolev Tu-104 (NATO reporting name: Camel) was a twin-engined medium-range turbojet-powered Soviet airliner. ... The Boeing 707 is an American four-engine commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. ...

Even with the end of World War II, there was still a need for advancement in aircraft and rocket technology. Not long after the war ended, in October of 1947, Chuck Yeager took the rocket powered Bell X-1 past the speed of sound. Although anecdotal evidence exists that some fighter pilots may have done so while divebombing ground targets during the war, this is the first controlled, level flight to cross the sound barrier. Further barriers of distance were eliminated in 1948 and 1952 as the first jet crossing of the Atlantic occurred and the first nonstop flight to Australia occurred. Charles Elwood Chuck Yeager (born February 13, 1923) is a retired Brigadier General in the United States Air Force and a noted test pilot. ... The Bell X-1, originally designated XS-1, was a joint NACA-U.S. Army Air Forces/US Air Force supersonic research project and the first aircraft to exceed the speed of sound in controlled, level flight. ...

The Canadian made Avro Arrow, circa 1950s.

During the 1950s, a new age of military aviation history would be written. When the Soviet Union developed long-range bombers that could deliver nuclear weapons to North America and Europe, Western countries responded with interceptor aircraft that could engage and destroy the bombers before they reached their destination. The "minister-of-everything" C.D. Howe in the Canadian government, was the key proponent of the Avro Arrow, designed as a high-speed interceptor, reputedly the fastest aircraft in its time. However, by 1955, most Western countries agreed that the interceptor age was replaced by guided missile age. Consequently, the Avro Arrow project was eventually cancelled in 1959 under Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. See Avro Arrow for more details. Photo from the Government of Canada website: http://www. ... Photo from the Government of Canada website: http://www. ... Avro Arrow The A.V.Roe CF-105 Arrow was a delta-wing interceptor aircraft, designed and built in Toronto, Ontario, Canada by Avro Canada during a short period of time in the 1950s. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... The Right Honourable Clarence Decatur C.D. Howe, PC (January 15, 1886 - December 31, 1960) was a leading Canadian politician. ... Avro Arrow The A.V.Roe CF-105 Arrow was a delta-wing interceptor aircraft, designed and built in Toronto, Ontario, Canada by Avro Canada during a short period of time in the 1950s. ... Avro Arrow The A.V.Roe CF-105 Arrow was a delta-wing interceptor aircraft, designed and built in Toronto, Ontario, Canada by Avro Canada during a short period of time in the 1950s. ... John George Diefenbaker, CH, PC, QC, BA, MA, LL.B, LL.D, DCL, FRSC, FRSA, D.Litt, DSL, (18 September 1895 – 16 August 1979) was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada (1957 – 1963). ... Avro Arrow The A.V.Roe CF-105 Arrow was a delta-wing interceptor aircraft, designed and built in Toronto, Ontario, Canada by Avro Canada during a short period of time in the 1950s. ...

In 1961, the sky was no longer the limit for manned flight, as Yuri Gagarin orbited once around the planet within 108 minutes. This action further heated up the space race that had started in 1957 with the launch of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union. The United States responded by launching Alan Shepard into space on a suborbital flight in a Mercury space capsule. With the launch of the Alouette I in 1963, Canada became the third country to send a satellite in space. The Space race between the United States and the Soviet Union would ultimately lead to the current pinnacle of human flight, the landing of men on the moon in 1969. “Gagarin” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Space Race (disambiguation). ... Sputnik 1 (Russian: , Satellite-1, or literally Co-traveler-1 byname ПС-1 (PS-1, i. ... For other persons named Alan Shepard, see Alan Shepard (disambiguation). ... Description Role: Orbital spaceflight Crew: one, pilot Dimensions Height: 11. ... Alouette-1 Alouette 1, was launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from the Pacific Missile Range in California at 6:05am on September 29, 1962, making Canada the third country to put a satellite in Earths orbit (in what is called the ionosphere). ... For other uses, see 1963 (disambiguation). ... The Apollo 11 mission was the first manned mission to land on the Moon. ...

This historic achievement in space was not the only progress made in aviation at this time however. In 1967, the X-15 set the air speed record for an aircraft at 4,534 mph or Mach 6.1 (7,297 km/h). Aside from vehicles designed to fly in outer space, this record still stands as the air speed record for powered flight. Description Role: Research Aircraft Crew: one, pilot Dimensions Length: 50. ... An F/A-18 Hornet breaking the sound barrier. ...

Apollo 11 lifts off on its mission to land a man on the moon

The same year that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the moon, 1969, Boeing came out with its vision for the future of air travel, unveiling the Boeing 747 for the first time. This plane is still one of the largest aircraft ever to fly, and it carries millions of passengers each year. Commercial aviation progressed even further in 1975, as Soviet Aeroflot started regular service on Tu-144 — the first supersonic passenger plane, and in 1976, as British Airways inaugurated supersonic service across the Atlantic, courtesy of the Concorde. A few years earlier the SR-71 Blackbird had set the record for crossing the Atlantic in under 2 hours, and Concorde followed in its footsteps with passengers in tow. Download high resolution version (944x1200, 179 KB)Launch of Apollo 11, July 16, 1969 (NASA image) http://www. ... Download high resolution version (944x1200, 179 KB)Launch of Apollo 11, July 16, 1969 (NASA image) http://www. ... The Apollo 11 mission was the first manned mission to land on the Moon. ... This article is about the former American astronaut. ... Colonel Buzz Aldrin, Sc. ... The Boeing 747, sometimes nicknamed the Jumbo Jet,[4][5] is long-haul, widebody commercial airliner manufactured by Boeing in the United States. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Tupolev Tu-144 (NATO reporting name: Charger) was a supersonic airliner constructed under management of the Soviet Tupolev design bureau headed by Alexei Tupolev (1925-2001). ... For the 1930s airline of similar name, see British Airways Ltd. ... For other uses, see Concorde (disambiguation). ... The Lockheed SR-71, unofficially known as the Blackbird, is a long-range, advanced, strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft by Lockheeds Skunk works, which was also responsible for the U-2 and many other advanced aircraft. ...

The last quarter of the 20th century saw a slowing of the pace of advancement seen in the first three quarters of the century. No longer was revolutionary progress made in flight speeds, distances and technology. This part of the century saw the steady improvement of flight avionics, and a few minor milestones in flight progress. Avionics is a portmanteau which literally means aviation electronics. ...

For example, in 1979 the Gossamer Albatross became the first human powered aircraft to cross the English channel. This achievement finally saw the realization of centuries of dreams of human flight, but this has not had any significant impact on either commercial or military aviation. In 1986 Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager flew an aircraft around the world unrefuelled, and without landing. In 1999 Bertrand Piccard became the first person to circle the earth in a balloon. By the end of the 20th Century there were no major or minor accomplishments left to be made in subsonic aviation. Focus was turning to the ultimate conquest of space and flight at faster than the speed of sound. The ANSARI X PRIZE inspired entrepreneurs and space enthusiasts to build their own rocket ships to fly faster than sound and climb into the lowest reaches of space. Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... The Gossamer Albatross II in flight. ... Richard “Dick” Rutan (born July 1, 1938) is an aviator who is most famous for flying the Voyager aircraft around the world non-stop with the assistance of Jeana Yeager. ... Jeana Yeager (born May 18, 1952 in Fort Worth, Texas) is an aviator, most famous for flying with Dick Rutan on a non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world in the Voyager aircraft in 1986 from December 14 to December 23. ... Dr. Bertrand Piccard (born March 1, 1958) is a Swiss psychiatrist and balloonist born in Lausanne, Vaud canton, on March 1, 1958. ... For other uses, see X Prize (disambiguation). ...

2001-Future

In the beginning of the 21st century, subsonic aviation focused on eliminating the pilot in favor of remotely operated or completely autonomous vehicles. Several Unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs have been developed. In April 2001 the unmanned aircraft Global Hawk flew from Edwards AFB in the US to Australia non-stop and unrefuelled. This is the longest point-to-point flight ever undertaken by an unmanned aircraft, and took 23 hours and 23 minutes. In October 2003 the first totally autonomous flight across the Atlantic by a computer-controlled model aircraft occurred. The £124 million Taranis UAV built by BAE Systems An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is an aircraft with no onboard pilot. ... The RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance aircraft The RQ-4 Global Hawk is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used by the US Air Force as a surveillance aircraft. ...

In commercial aviation, the early 21st century saw the end of an era with the retirement of Concorde. Supersonic flight was not very commercially viable, as the planes were required to fly over the oceans if they wanted to break the sound barrier. Concorde also was fuel hungry and could carry a limited amount of passengers due to its highly streamlined design. Nevertherless, it seems to have made a significant operating profit for British Airways. For the 1930s airline of similar name, see British Airways Ltd. ...

Despite this setback, and the general slowing of progress, it is generally agreed that the 21st century will be a bright one for aviation. Planes and rockets offer unique capabilities in terms of speed and carrying capacity that should not be underestimated. As long as there is a need for people to get to places quickly, there will be a need for aviation.

The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission was established in 1999 to encourage the broadest national and international participation in the celebration of 100 years of powered flight.^[10] It publicized and encouraged a number of programs, projects and events intended to educate people about the history of aviation.

References

Events The Bulgars invade and raid Byzantine territory, but are driven back near Constantinople by Belisarius. ... Yuan Huangtou(chinese:zh:元黄头) was the son of emperor Yuan Lang of Eastern Wei. ... Zizhi Tongjian (traditional Chinese character: 資治通鑑; simplified Chinese character: 资治通鉴; pinyin Zīzhì Tōngjìan, Wade-Giles Tzu-chih tung-chien) is known to be a important Chinese history text of annual chronology. ... The Engines of Our Ingenuity is a radio program that is regularly broadcast on National Public Radio. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lynn Townsend White, Jr. ... Saudi Aramco World is a bi-motnhly magazine published by Saudi Aramco, the national oil company of Saudi Arabia. ... Lynn Townsend White, Jr. ... University of California Press, also known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. ... PBS redirects here. ...

See also

Aviation Portal

• Timeline of aviation
• Early flight
• Early flying machines
• First flying machine
• List of aircraft
• Accidents and incidents in aviation
• Aviation safety
• Aviation archaeology
• Model aircraft
• Commemorative Air Force
• Colorado Aviation Historical Society
• Pueblo Historical Aircraft Society

Image File history File links Portal. ... This is a timeline of aviation history. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with First flying machine. ... This article is a listing of primarily pre-20th Century flying machines and work, and an analysis of the debates over early flying machines. ... There are conflicting views as to what was the first flying machine. ... This list of aircraft is sorted alphabetically, beginning with the name of the manufacturer (or, in certain cases, designer). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... During the 1920s, the first laws were passed in the USA to regulate civil aviation. ... Aviation archaeology, also known as aerospace archaeology or wreck chasing, is a hobby actively practiced throughout the world by both outdoor recreationists and academics in pursuit of finding, documenting, recovering, and preserving sites important in aviation history. ... A Die Cast Boeing 747-800 static model. ... T-6 Texan converted to resemble a Mitsubishi Zero as flown by the Commemorative Air Force The Commemorative Air Force (CAF), formerly known as the Confederate Air Force, is a Texas-based non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and showing historical aircraft at airshows primarily throughout the U.S. and... Founded in 1966, The Colorado Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) acquires, restores, preserves and provides for public display, aircraft and other objects, documents, items and things of present or historical interest or value in connection with the development and history or aviation in the State of Colorado and elsewhere. ... The Pueblo Historical Aircraft Society (PHAS) hosts one of the large collections of military aircraft in Colorado. ...

External links

• http://www.flyingmachines.org/
• http://www.thewrightbrothers.org/fivefirstflights.html
• Time line of greatest breakthroughs in manned flight
• Prehistory of Flight
• Graphic time-line
• little aviation games
• Private Jet Charter History
• University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections – Transportation Photographs An ongoing digital collection of photographs depicting various modes of transportation in the Pacific Northwest region and Western United States during the first half of the 20th century.
• Aviation research at the National Archives - how to find aviation photos and records.
• Military aviation history articles from around Laughlin AFB, Texas
• Aviation History at Muswell Manor
• Photographs of aerospace museums & historic aviation collections.