History of Flying Machines

Flight has been the dream of mankind and many models of flying machines have been designed and constructed; the first attempts were making wings out of feathers to be able to fly like birds . However, the dream of flight took many years to be achieved.


In the 1480s, Leonardo da Vinci was interested in flight and he had over 100 drawings that illustrated his theories on flight. After observing the structure of birds' wings, about 1485 he drew detailed plans for a human-powered Ornithopter (a wing-flapping device intended to fly). The modern day helicopter is based on this design. 

 

George Cayley was the first person to define the principles of mechanical flight and is considered one of the most important people in the history of aeronautics. Cayley created and constructed many designs of gliders. He discovered the four aerodynamic forces of flight which were weight, lift, drag and thrust.In 1849, his full-size model was large enough to support the weight of a 10 year old boy who was the first to take flight in one of his gliders. Later in 1853, Cayley built a larger model which carried Cayley's coachman as a passenger. 

 

In 1891, Otto Linienthal designed a glider that was able to fly a person safely for long distances. He did fundamental research on birds and the science of wing aerodynamics and he published a book on this subject in 1889. His designs inspired the Wright brothers. 

 

 

Samuel Langley built and designed machines that were driven by a steam engine. By 1896, he built an aircraft (Aerodrome No.6) which made a stable flight of 42 hundred feet in one minute and forty five seconds.

 

Aerodrome No. 6

Humans Can Fly!

After years of research and learning, Orville and Wilbur Wright known as the Wright brothers built the first heavier-than-air flight which was a plane weighing six hundred and five pounds in 1903. They combined the idea of gliders and engine power to create the "Flyer" which travelled one hundred twenty feet in two minutes. 

 

References: 

1) Flying Machines. (n.d.). The FLYING MACHINES Web Site. Retrieved March 25, 2012, from http://www.flyingmachines.org/  

2)History of flight. (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2012 from http://www.ueet.nasa.gov/StudentSite/historyofflight.html

3) Hatcher, D. (n.d.). Ancient Flying Machines. World-Mysteries. Retrieved March 25, 2012, from http://www.world-mysteries.com/sar_7.htm