Aviation history is the backbone of modern aviation, which led in the creation of wonderful flying machines such as mechanical aircraft, Jet, supersonic aircraft and space flights. Flying was just a dream for human since thousands of years and many people tried to fulfill their dream in the past but were always unsuccessful until the 20th century.
Efforts were taken by many personalities to create an ultimate flying machine which they dreamt of. Some people had spent their entire life in their avian dream and some people had sacrificed their lives in the attempt of invention of a flying machine. Today we can fly just like a bird in the air alone or with multiple people at the same time in a plane just because of works by avian personalities, who share the credit in the creation of the flight. Some of the personalities are unforgettable and will be remembered them throughout our life.
Wright Brothers:
Wilbur and Orville Wright (Wright Brothers) of America are credited for inventing the first airplane on December 17, 1903. This airplane was controllable and was lighter than air which had fixed wings. Wright Brothers had a bicycle business in Ohio since 1892, but their ambition was to create a flying machine, and they did it. Wilbur Wright requested Smithsonian Institution for the information of flights in 1899, to perform his aviation experiments. Wright Brothers initially experimented with a glider which could be controlled through its wings and it used the principle of kite for its flying.
Wright Brothers observed flying birds and realizes the importance of wings in flying. They found out that the bird lifts up through their curved wings and turns in the air by changing the size of the wings. By combining this technique and previous studies by Langley and Cayley, Wright Brothers created various manned and unmanned gliders with a tail and wings. They performed successful test of their glider at Kitty Hawk, in the remote and windy areas of North Carolina. Later they experimented successfully with heavier than air and bigger biplane gliders, and based on their studies and experiments they invented the first powered mechanical airplane which had motor, tail and wings; which could fly in the air successfully. This experiment was a remarkable milestone in the history of flights and aviation.
Sir George Cayley (1773 - 1857):
Sir George Cayley is considered the father of aerodynamics because of his tremendous and valuable contribution in the field of aviation. George Cayley always believed that a machine can be made which would help man to fly. He worked on a wing designed model which could fly on the theory of lift and drag. In his glider models he used vertical tail, air screws, steering rudders and rear elevators; which helped the glider to fly in the air.
George Cayley was from Yorkshire, who inherited Brompton Hall and all other estate after the death of 5th baronet, his father. He was associated with wide range of engineering projects. He had developed many projects such as small scale helicopters, automatic signals used for railway crossing, lifeboats, gun power fuelled combustion engine, seat belts and many more. He has also contributed in the fields of architecture, electricity, land reclamation and optic field.
Over 50 years, Cayley designed series of gliders which used wings and tails to fly. He also tried wings which could change their position and size while flying; and a tail for the stability of the glider’s position in the air. He also tried a biplane design or model which could strengthen the glider and at the same time he discovered that a machine could be introduced which could help the glider to stay for a longer time in air. In 1953, At Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Cayley designed a triplane glider which had 3 horizontal wings, which fled up to 900 feet along with the coachman before its crash. He derived various theories for flying machines based on his experiments and he also realized the importance of improvements in wings ratio, streamlined shape and light weight power source; which would be necessary for successful flight. He also predicted that the successful flight would not be created until the invention of a lightweight power engine or alternate source for the flight so that it can lift and thrust in the air.
Otto Lilienthal (1891):
Lilienthal, a German Engineer was the first person to design a glider which could fly along with a person. He had very deep study in the field of aerodynamics and he also designed a glider which worked on the same principle as that of a bird during flying. He also published a book on aerodynamics in 1889 which described his designs and concepts. This book was very useful for Wright Brothers, for the creation of their flight. Lilienthal died in a crash due to strong winds which made the glider uncontrollable. He completed 2500 flights before he died.
Samuel Langley (1891):
Langley was an astronomer and a physicist who worked on flying machine called as aerodrome, which worked on stream motors and whirling arms. In his model he used a powered stream engine which fled for 4 miles till the end of the fuel. He was also funded $50,000 to build an aerodrome, but the project failed as the aerodrome was too heavy to sustain in the air and it crashed. Since the failure of aerodrome, Langley was disappointed and he left experimenting in the field of aviation. He was also the Director of Smithsonian Institute and his theories helped Wright Brothers to develop their successful model.
Gustave Whitehead (1874 – 1927):
Whitehead was a German born American immigrant, an aviation pioneer who worked on engines, aircrafts and power aircraft engines. He gained attention due to his massive works in the field of aviation during 1895 to 1911. In 1897, Whitehead was hired by the publisher of Boston Aeronautical Club, to build a flying glider and at the same time he was working with the New York’s Horsman manufacturer, for aircraft motors, aircraft models and hang gliders. Later he designed airplanes with powered engines which could power the front wheels and the rear wheels could be used for direction. He is famous for his inventions and monoplanes and he is well known for airplane called as Number 21.
Octave Chanute (1894):
Chanute was an aviation pioneer and a famous railroad engineer, who helped Wright Brothers tremendously in their aviation project. Chanute (French born American) was noted for his engineering innovation and projects in the United States. In his career he constructed America’s two biggest stockyards and many railroads and bridges over river. During his visit to Europe in 1985, he gained interest in aviation and after his retirement from engineering, he devoted all his life in the field of aviation.
Alberto Santos-Dumont (1873 - 1932):
Alberto is known for 14 – bis airplane in 1906, which was the first fixed wing airplane by French and European Aviation Department, which could take off and land successfully on land. He was the first person to design a successful dirigible balloon, which fled around the Eiffel Tower. He was a Brazilian, who decided to work in the field of aviation, leaving his ancestral prosperous coffee business in Brazil. He studied science in Paris and spend most of his life in the European Continent and he was a lifelong bachelor.
During 1485 to 1903 there were many experiments in the field of aviation and their contribution by each person has ignited or helped aviation revolution in some or the other way, here is the list:
• In 1485, Leonardo Vinci had experimented on the Ornithopter.
• In 1714, Swedenborg Emanuel worked on Daedalian.
• In 1799, George Cayley contributed on the revolutionary Flight theory.
• In 1843, Henson William Samuel developed Steam Aerial Carriage.
• During 1848 to 1868, Stringfellow John worked on Stringfellow Machines.
• In 1849, Porter Rufus designed an aerial transport between California New York.
• During 1857 to 1867, Bris Jean Marie Bris designed the first Artificial Albatross.
• During 1857 to 1877, Louis du Felix and Croix de la Temple worked on a monoplane with steam power.
• In 1864, Ferdinand Le Comte Charles Honore d'Esterno Phillipe worked on Laws of flights and soaring machine.
• In 1865, Louis Pierre Mouillard designed the empire of Air flight.
• In 1865, Edmund Edwards and James William Butler designed the steam dart jet.
• In 1866, Francis Herbert Wenham developed an Aerial Locomotion.
• During 1866 to 1869, Jan Wnek worked on gliding model of flights.
• In 1869, Frederick Marriott experimented on the avitor hermes.
• In 1871, Alphonse Penaud developed the Penaud and Planophore toy helicopter.
• During 1875 and 1879, Thomas Moy designed the military kite and the moy aerial steamer.
• In 1878, Charles Ritchel designed the hand power airship.
• In 1879, Victor Tatin designed the air monoplane in the compressed form.
• In 1880, J Biot designed the Biot Kite.
• In 1883, Alexandre Goupil designed the aerial locomotion.
• During 1883 to 1911, John J Montgomery designed a winged glider and a monoplane.
• In 1884, Aleksandr F Mozhaiski developed the monoplane called as Mozhaiski.
• During 1884 to 1907, Horatio F Phillips designed sustainers.
• In 1887, Biot and Massia developed the glider called as Massia-Biot.
• In 1889, Pichancourt developed a machine called as mechanical bird.
• During 1889 to 1893, Lawrence Hargrave designed bix kites and flapping propellers.
• During 1890 to 1897, Clement Ader developed a machine called as the ader bats.
• In 1891, Chuhachi Ninomiya developed tamamushi.
• During 1891 to 1896, Otto Lilienthal developed a gliding master model.
• In 1894, Hiram S Maxim designed a model called as the test rig.
• During 1894 to 1897, James Means developed a soaring Model.
• In 1895, Pablo Suarez developed the glider called as suarez.
• In 1896, Percy Sinclair Pilcher developed the Hawk.
• In 1896, Augustus Herring and Octave Chanute developed the gliding machine.
• In 1896, William P Butusov designed the albatross soaring Model.
• In 1896, William Frost designed the airship glider.
• During 1896 to 1903, Samuel P Langley developed aerodromes model.
• In 1898, Edson Gallaudet designed a gallaudet kite with warping wing.
• In 1898, Lyman W Gilmore designed the gilmore monoplane.
• In 1901, Wilhelm Kress designed a aeroplane called as waterborne.
• In 1901, Gustave Whitehead developed the whitehead Albatross.
• In 1903, Richard W Pearse designed a monoplane called as pearse.
• In 1903, Karl Jatho designed the biplane called as jatho.
• During 1903 to 1904, Guido Dinelli developed an aereoplano model.
