| This is part one of a two-part review of Aviation | | | | Jean Marie Le Bris of France was a famous glider |
| from its beginnings to the present day. It is a | | | | developer in the 19th century who tested a glider |
| subjective look at a few of the highlights in the | | | | with movable wings. Kites also played an important |
| development of Aviation over the centuries. | | | | role in the development of aviation, they could be |
| The generally accepted definition of Aviation is the | | | | used to test aerodynamics and flight stability. |
| design, manufacture, use, or operation of aircraft - in | | | | Lawrence Hargrave first created the box kite in 1893 |
| which the term aircraft refers to any vehicle capable | | | | and Alexander Graham Bell developed a gigantic |
| of flight. Aircraft can either be heavier-than-air or | | | | passenger-carrying tetrahedral-celled kite from 1895 |
| lighter-than-air, lighter-than-air craft including balloons | | | | to 1910. Some of the most important full-scale model |
| and airships; and heavier-than-air craft including | | | | flight attempts were made by Samuel Langley, who |
| airplanes, autogiros, gliders, helicopters and | | | | created the first heavier-than-air, gasoline-powered |
| ornithopters. | | | | engine which actually flew. The 'aerodrome', which he |
| It was the dream of man for centuries to soar with | | | | called it, was powered by a 53 horsepower 5-cylinder |
| the birds. Famous inventors such as Leonardo da | | | | radial engine and later crashed into the Potomac river |
| Vinci, John Stringfellow and Lawrence Hargrave had | | | | on December 1903 -- days before the Wright's |
| conjured up ideas of how to get some of the | | | | historic flight. |
| strangest machines to fly long before the Wright | | | | Throughout this century, major developments would |
| brothers' famous first flight at Kitty Hawk. | | | | give inventors a sound basis in experimental |
| The kite was the first form of an aircraft believed to | | | | aerodynamics, although stability and control required |
| have been first designed in the 5th century BC. | | | | for sustained flight had not been acquired. Most |
| Roger Bacon, an English monk, performed studies | | | | importantly, inventors noticed that successful |
| later on in the 13th century which gave him the idea | | | | powered flight required light gasoline engines instead |
| that air could support a craft just like water supports | | | | of the cumbersome steam engines previously used. |
| boats. In the 16th century, Leonardo da Vinci studied | | | | Fortunately the development of the gasoline engine |
| birds flight and later produced the airscrew and the | | | | was being pushed by the burgeoning auto industry. |
| parachute. The airscrew, leading to the propeller later | | | | Although in its infancy, designers and inventors were |
| on and the parachute were tremendously important | | | | looking for lighter engines capable of increased |
| contributions to aviation. He envisioned three | | | | horsepower to power their automobiles. |
| different types of heavier-than-air craft; the | | | | It is remarkable, from 1903 to today, how far |
| helicopter, glider and ornithopter (a machine with | | | | aviation has come. On December 17, 1903, at 10:35 |
| mechanical wings which flap to mimic a bird). Although | | | | a.m., the Wright brothers' (Orville at the controls) |
| Leonardo's designs were impractical, seeing they | | | | made the first heavier-than-air, machine powered |
| required human muscular power which was | | | | flight which lasted 12 seconds and spanned 120 feet. |
| insufficient to generate flight with the aircraft he | | | | Their first flight was 102 feet short of the wingspan |
| envisioned, he was vital to aviation because he was | | | | of the C-5 Galaxy today, yet they did what every |
| the first to make scientific suggestions. | | | | man and woman had dreamed of for centuries. . . |
| Some of the more credible developments in actual | | | | they flew. Yet, not all flights were victorious, on |
| flight and stability occurred in the 19th century. Sir | | | | September 17, their aircraft crashed, injuring Orville |
| George Cayley of Britain designed a combined | | | | and his passenger (Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge). |
| helicopter and horizontally propelled aircraft and the | | | | Selfridge later died of a concussion and was the first |
| British Francis Herbert Wenham used wind tunnels in | | | | person to be killed in a powered airplane. Yet the |
| his studies. He also predicted the application of | | | | show went on and Wilbur went to France in August |
| multiple wings placed above each other. Another | | | | 1908 and on December 31, 1908, he completed a 2 |
| famous inventor was John Stringfellow, who designed | | | | hour 20 minute flight which demonstrated full control |
| a steam engine powered aircraft which was launched | | | | over his Flyer. The Flyer was purchased on August 2, |
| from a wire. This model demonstrated lift but failed | | | | 1909 and became the first successful military airplane. |
| to actually climb. Lawrence Hargrave, a British-born | | | | It remained in service for around two years and was |
| Australian inventor, created a rigid-wing aircraft with | | | | retired to the Smithsonian Institution where it rests |
| flapping blades operated by a compressed-air motor, | | | | today. |
| it flew 312 ft (95m) in 1891. | | | | |