History of Airplanes

First Glider

Sep 17, 1891

In 1891, Otto Lilienthal made the fist glider that can carry a person and can travel at long distances. But, 2500 flights later, it crashed to the ground, killing the inventor, because of strong winds.
NASA website

First powered aircraft

Sep 17, 1891

Samuel P. Langley made a model of his invention and received a $50,000 grant to build a full sized aerodrome. It crashed because it was too heavy and Langley gave up on creating a flying macine.
NASA website

The Wright Brothers

Sep 17, 1900

Orville and Wilbur Wright was interested about flying machines, and then, decided that they want to make a successful airplane. They were testing the shape of the wings by making kites.
NASA website
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

First successful glider

Sep 17, 1902

The Wright Brothers made the first successful glider.
NASA website
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

First Successful powered airplane

Dec 17, 1903

The Wright Brothers made the first powered airplane, the "Flyer". Orville flew the first powered aircraft, weight about 600 pounds. It traveled at about 850 feet in 59 seconds but it's hard to control.
NASA website
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

The beginning of the Jet Age

Aug 17, 1939

The British made the first jet powered aircraft but was removed because of its speed. But the Germans create the first successful jet engine. They test it on a Messerschmitt Me 262.
Website

Fastest aircraft in the world

Sep 17, 1959

the X-15 can go for about mach 6+.

The Blackbird

Dec 22, 1964

The second fastest aircraft in the world, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird can travel at about Mach 3.3 and it was designed to spy on the Russians, during the Cold War.
SR-71 Blackbird

The Queen of the skies

Sep 18, 1969

The boeing company want to make a supersonic aircraft that can compete with the Concorde, but cancelled it because they want to make a jet that can carry more passengers. Thus, the Boeing 747, the first jumbo jet, is born. Boeing.com

The BIGGEST airplane in the world

Dec 21, 1988

Bigger than the Boeing 747 and the AIrbus A380, this Soviet jumbo was designed the Soviet version of the Space Shuttle, the Buran. It was abandoned and revived on 2000 because it can carry a lot of cargo, for example, 6 tanks!
Antonov 225
Antonov Website

The Superjumbo

Apr 27, 2005

The Airbus company made the Airbus A380 because they want to compete with "The Queen of the skies", the Boeing 747.