Timeline: AIR TRAVEL

Nov 23, 1783

First Air Flight

The Montgolfier brothers launched the first hot air balloon

Period: Nov 23, 1783 to Mar 25, 2013

History of Air Travel

Dec 31, 1852

First Airship

Steam engine airship was flown by Henri Giffard from Paris.
Could only fly forwards.

Dec 31, 1903

Wright Brothers

First engine powered flight in 'The Flyer'.
Flew for 12 seconds and travelled 37 metres.

Dec 31, 1915

First Metal Plane Built

Built by a German, Herman Junkers.
Travelled at 170 km an hour.

Dec 31, 1926

First Sea Plane

Having one or two floats in place of the usual undercarriage this plane took off from, and landed on, water.

Dec 31, 1930

Flying Boats

Used to cross oceans because aircraft could not carry enough Could fly between seaports and islands, refuelling as they went.
Didn't need runways, and it was thought to be safer to fly across water in an aircraft that could float.
Have floats where the undercarriage would be on a land-based aircraft.

Dec 31, 1940

First Helicopter

Could carry passengers
Still called a flying boat.
Built of wood in 1947.
Only flew once, distance of about - 2 kilometres.
Largest plane ever.

Dec 31, 1950

Jetliners

Jet liners carried approx 40 passengers
Had jet engines with propellers called turbo-prop engines.

Dec 31, 1952

No Propellors

Jetliners no longer needed propellors and used turbo jets

Dec 31, 1968

First supersonic passanger aircraft

Flew on December 31, 1968;
(Two months ahead of the first flight for the Concorde SST)
Concorde flew at speeds of up to 2100 kilometres per hour carrying 100 passengers.