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Orville and Wilbur Wright were the inventors of the first airplane. On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers launched the era of human flight when they successfully tested a flying vehicle that took off by its own power,
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Two engineers, Frank Whittle of the United Kingdom and Hans von Ohain of Germany, are credited with the development of the jet engine during the late 1930s.
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Another area of exploration is with rocket-powered aircraft. These airplanes use engines that run on rocket propellant for propulsion, allowing them to soar at higher speeds and achieve faster acceleration.
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some firms have developed electric aircraft that run on electric motors rather than internal combustion engines. The electricity comes from alternative fuel sources such as fuel cells, solar cells, ultracapacitors, power beaming and batteries.
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an early rocket-powered aircraft called the Me 163 Komet was deployed by the Germans during World War II.
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The Bell X-1 rocket plane was the first plane to break the sound barrier in 1947. Currently, the the North American X-15 holds the world record for the highest speed ever recorded by a manned,
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More adventurous firms have also begun experimenting with rocket-powered propulsion. Examples include SpaceShipOne, designed by American aerospace engineer Burt Rutan and Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo.
