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MAN'S EARLY WINGS
? I ? ?
1848' England's John Stringfellow designed and built a steam-powered monoplane.
It was launched from wire stretched in room of lace factory,
The nation will celebrate this year an historic epoch in aviation, the fiftieth
anniversary of the Wright brothers' flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C., although the
actual date of the flight was Dec. 17, 1903. On that day, with Orville at the con
trols, their biplane, powered by a 12-horsepower, four-cylinder, water-cooled
engine which they built, took off from a monorail across the sand dunes and
covered a distance of about 120 feet, an erratic flight lasting about 12 seconds.
Three more flights, the longest lasting 59 seconds, were made thot day. The
dream of flying was a reality!
Though the Wrights had triumphed first, others before them had been smitten
with the same dream and had explored the possibilities of mechanical flight. The
19th century was alive with aerial experiments. These pioneers were of many
nationalities. In the U.S. there was Prof. Samuel P. Langley with his "aerodrome"
and in Australia, Lawrence Hargrove with a box-kite capable of carrying a man.
Germany, France and England were rich with these pioneers of flying. They
included, among others, such men as Otto Lilienthal, the "father of gliding,"
William S. Henson, creator of the "aerial steam carriage, " and the famous inventor
Sir Hiram S. Maxim, These men braved death, fought ridicule and defeat, to bring
about the new age of aviation.
Here are some of the early experimenters and their craft, painted by Charles H.
Hubbell. Cleveland, 0., aviation artist.
HIST Oft iC DAY. Tb* Wright bco&ert' plan* lak?t oW (torn o sloping monorail foe tucceMfu) Ui^it. 6?c. 17, 1903.
) 855: Je<w>*3rfe
LeBrisof Franc*
built a 50-foot
replica of the ;
albatross and
mount*? ft Ah a' ?
from* atop a
horse-drawn cart.
Th* tow- 1 in*
jammed and S
driver was car- '
ried aloft.
1893: Lawrence
Hargrove of Aus
tralia constructed
model, shown
right. It flew
successfully
using flapping
propeller, actu
ated by a small
compressed air
motor.
i
1893: Germany's Otto Lilienthol flies on* of his gliders in
Rhinerow Hills near Stollen, Germany. He built many
? - ^machines, made hundreds of glides.
18% FVof , Samuel P
Langley flics hit
fondant monoplane
<" "aerodrome" ovii
PotomOC river. Power
not supplied by a
lightweight steam
engine.
^ 1897 Clamant Ador,
French pioneer, tries
out hit "Avion," a
I org* bot-liko staom
powared mo china, at
Satory, F ranca. He
could not maintain
control ond tha mo*
v china craihad.
?? ? ?: At I MM
1898: Octave Chonute
tries out hit most
successful fll'd?r? 0
type in which he hung
on fromawork beneath
lower wing ond con
trolled craft by shift
ing weight of body.
Pointings by Chorl?s H. Hvkbtll copyrighted by Thompson Products, Ine* Clovolond,