History

History of Flight

By missmcconnell
  • Jan 1, 1485

    The Ornithoper

    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

    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.

  • Gliders

    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.

  • Otto Lilienthal's Gliders

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    The Flyer
    Watch the flight here!
    At 10:35 am the flyer lifted off the ground in Big Kill Devil Hill, North Carolina. It was the first heavier than air flight! It was piloted by Orville and weighed around 600 pounds. It was very difficult to control and the first flight went 120 feet in 12 seconds. The fourth flight of the day covered 850 feet in 59 second.

  • The Flyer III

    The Flyer III
    Watch the flight here!
    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.

  • Credits

    Images from:
    http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/UEET/StudentSite/historyofflight.html
    http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/95182/Leonardo-da-Vincis-plans-for-an-ornithopter-a-flying-machine
    http://www.amazon.com/Progress-Flying-Machines-Aeronautical-Engineering/dp/0486299813
    http://wright.nasa.gov/airplane/glid00.html
    http://www.wright-brothers.org/TBR/Programs/programs.htm
    Information from:
    Shaw, R. (2010, Aug 27). History of Flight. Retrieved October 31, 2012, from NASA: http://www.grc.