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Chinese Kites
Kites were invented in China! -
Jan 1, 1485
The Ornithoper
The Ornithoper was a design by Leonardo da Vinci. It was never actually built but the modern day helicopter is based on this design! -
The First Manned Hot Air Balloon
Joseph MIchael and Jacques Etienne Montgolfier invented the first hot air balloon. Smoke from a fire was used to blow hot air into a silk bag attached to a basket. The hot air began to rise and the basket along with it. The first human passengers were Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier and Francois Lauren. -
Flight Pioneer
Jacques Charles was a French scientist who along with M.Robert made the first flight in a hydrogen filled balloon over Paris. -
Gliders
George Cayley designed gliders that used body motions to control. Over 50 years he changed the shape of the wings for better air flow and designed a tail to help with stability. He recongized that power was needed to sustain long term flight. -
Flight Pioneer
Sir George Cayley- a British engineer who was the first person to discover how aircrafts could fly. He established the basic designs of wings and a tail fitted to a long body with his model glider. -
Otto Lilienthal's Gliders
Otto Lilienthal studied areodynamics and was the first person to design a glider that could carry a person and fly a long distance. After more than 2500 flights, he was killed when a sudden wind caused him to lose control and crash into the ground. -
Aerodrome
Samuel Langley created the Aerodrome, a model of a plane that included a stem engine. The model flew for 3/4 of a mile before running out of fuel. He tried to build a full size version but it was too heavy to fly and crashed. -
Progress in Flying Machines
Octave Chanute published "Progress in Flying Machines" in 1894. He gathered and analyzed all technical knowledge of aviation accomplishments. The Wright brothers used this book as the basis for a lot of their experiments and Chanute often commented on their progress. -
Orville and Wilbur Wright's gliders
After working with kites to determine that wind can help in flight, the Wright brothers started to work with gliders to perfect the wing and tail shape. -
Wright Brothers' Engine
After perfecting the wings and tails of the gliders, the Wright brothers started working on a propulsion system to create thurst to fly. They designed and build an engine with 12 horsepower! -
The Flyer III
The flyer III flew for 39 minutes and about 24 miles around the Huffmann Prairie. It was piloted by Wilbur and he flew the first practical airplane until it ran out out gas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5o-fhBKf8Y -
First World Record!
Alberto Santos Durmont makes first powered and sustained flight in Europe. (This was first officially recognized world distance record) -
World's First Air Passenger!
Charles Furnas becomes the world's first air passenger, when taken for a half minute flight by Wilbur Wright. Madame Peltier is the first woman passenger in Italy. -
Flight Pioneer
Samuel Cody was an American airman living in Britan. He designd and flew people lifting kites and then built and flew the first British airship in 1907. -
Air Racing
The world's first air-race meeting is held in France -
Flight Pioneers
Louis Bleriot (1872-1936)
- Louis Bleriot was a French airman who made the first airplane flight across the English Channel on October 31, 1909 in his monoplane -
First non-stop flight across the Atlantic
Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Whitten Brown, two Canadian pilots make the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic. They took off in Newfoundland and landed in the Republic of Ireland, 3,200 km and 16 hours later. -
First mid-air collision
Two airliners hit each other between London and Paris. This collision forced authorities to devise the air lane system, which created regular routes, schedules and times. -
North Pole!
Richard Byrd makes first flight over the North Pole in a Fokker FV 11 monoplane -
Flight Pioneer
Charles Lindbergh was a United States airman who made the first solo non-stop flight across teh Atlanic Ocean. Lindbergh's flight took 33 1/2 hrs from New York to Paris. -
Flight Pioneer
Amy Johnson was a British pilot who was the first women to fly solo from Britain to Australia. Her flight took 10 days. -
First Helicopter
The first practical helicopter, a German twin-rotor takes to the air. -
First Jet-Propelled Aircraft
The first jet propelled aircraft the Hel178 is built and flown in Germany by the Heinkel company -
First Supersonic Aircraft
The Bell X-1 rocket plane becomes the first supersonic aircraft -
First (and only) Flying Boat!
The Huges H4 Hercules flying boat makes its first and only flight. It had the longest wingspan of any aircraft ever built (97.5 m) and had eight engines but it flew only 1 km. -
First Jet Airliner to carry passengers
The four engined Havilland Comet becomes the world's first jet-airliner to offer regular passenger service. -
First non-stop Flight around the world
Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager fly the Voyager aircraft 40212 km on the first non stop flight around the world without refueling. The flight took over 9 days at an average speed of 186 km/h -
First Solar Powered Aircraft
The Solar Challenger is the first solared-powered aircraft to cross the English Channel. The flight took 5 hours and 23 minutes.
