Wright Brothers Not First In Flight

[Cosmin M.]

The history of aviation in Romania began very early, with the work of Conrad Hass (1551-1579), an artillery engineer and chief of arsenal of the town of Sibiu. Hass wrote about the construction and the flight tests of multistage rockets, apparently the earliest writings in existence about the science of rocket engineering.

One of the first suggestions for equipping a dirigible with a jet engine dates back as far as 1886, when Romanian inventor Alexandro Ciurcu (1884-1922), together with Frenchman Just Buisson, suggested that an aerostat built and exhibited with an electric engine at the Paris Exhibition of Electricity in 1881 be provided instead with their jet cylinder. Ciurcu built and tested their original first jet engine on a small ship running on the Seine River in Paris in 1886 and on a rail car in 1888.

In February 1903, the work of Traian Vuia (1872-1950), "Projet d'Aeroplane-automobile," was published. On this original aircraft, designed and built by Vuia and containing only the third aircraft engine made to that date, Vuia performed the first flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft in the history of aviation. It took off at Montesson, near Paris, on 18 March 1906, flying by the power of its engine with no auxiliary equipment.

Henri Coanda (1886-1972) constructed the first jet aircraft in the world, named the Coanda-1910, in 1910. The aircraft was exhibited at the International Aeronautical Show (Paris, 1910) and Coanda tested the engine near Paris. He performed the first reactive flight, but it ended in an accident: the aircraft side-slipped, fell, and burned. Coanda also was the constructor of the first twin-engine aircraft in the history of aeronautics (1911). He used two Gnome engines with seven rotating cylinders each, connected on the same shaft and driving a single four-blade airscrew.

Rodrig Golieseu built and flew his "Avioplan" in 1909. It was the first airplane to have a full cylindrical fuselage. Between 1932 and 1936 he flight tested his "Aviocoleopter," the first aircraft to have a toroidal wing.

Between 1918 and 1923, Vuia built and tested near Paris two helicopters, with mechanical drive from the engine to the lifting rotor (in the case of the second aircraft), practically proving that the rotating wing can ensure lift and propulsion. In 1920 his helicopter was patented in France and England.

In 1923 Hermann Oberth (1894-1989) published a study, "The Rocket in the Interplanetary Space," in which he put forward the theoretic basis of the operating possibility of the liquid-fueled rocket (later tested in a laboratory). Most of Oberth's work was done in the Romanian cities of Sighisoara and Medias between 1924 and 1938. Romanian aerospace history got a boost in 1981, when astronaut Dorin Prunariu made a space-flight on board the Soyuz T4- Saliut 6- Soyuz 40 orbital complex.

Provided to the AIAA for the sole purpose of its Evolution of Flight Campaign.

[Cosmin M.]

Funny thing is, Wright Brothers were not firs tin flight. Only America claims that.

[Cosmin M.]

Correctly said.

[Cosmin M.]

But then why does everybody still claim that they were first in flight EVER?

[Cosmin M.]

Anyone else got an opinion?

[Cosmin M.]

It would be nice if someone would respond.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

But then why does everybody still claim that they were first in flight EVER?

Everybody DOESN'T claim the Wright brothers were the first to fly. They were the first to fly in America, like dgrimm60 has already noted.

As a side note, Leonardo DaVinci invented the prototype of the helicopter.

Why are you trying to make this into a problem when it isn't one?

[Cosmin M.]

Fine, your right. -End of discussion-

[Robert]

Fine, your right. -End of discussion-

That was too easy....

[Gail]

Originally Posted By: Cosmin

Fine, your right. -End of discussion-

That was too easy....

LOL

[Dr. Shane]

Wright brothers did an excellent job marketing their aircraft and as a result influenced aviation more than their predecessors. The Wright brothers took their airplanes and flew them at country fairs all across the nation. That gave thousands of people the opportunity to see an airplane flying. It is by no accident that the Wright brothers are credited as being first in flight. They made a name for themselves. One of them died in a plane crash.

[Cosmin M.]

But still. It does not mean they were first in flight.

[Dr. Shane]

Some will argue that Elvis Presley isn't the king of rock and roll too. But he earned the title by being so influential, not being the first to sing a rock and roll song.

[Stan]

have to remember... this all happened before the internet...

Like which country was the telephone invented?

[Robert]

But still. It does not mean they were first in flight.

The angels were first in flight! teehe

[Cosmin M.]

Poop. I just got pw3nzord.

[John317]

Early attempts to defy gravity involved the invention of ingenuous machines, such as ornithopters. These were based upon designs written in 1500 by Leonardo da Vinci. This type of flying machine utilizes the flapping of the wings in order to achieve flight. Needless, is to say that all attempts to fly using this type of machine failed. n 1680, Giovanni Borelli stated that people's muscles are too weak to flap the large surfaces needed to obtain flight. Later, aditional reasons were found. Since the remarkable physiological capabilities of birds can never be matched by human beings. In other words our heart beat rate must have to go up to 800 heart beats per minute in order to be able to achieve flight.

2nd Attempts at Flight

The first free flight in a artifical device was done by two Frenchmen, Jean F. Pilatre de Rozier, and Marquis d'Arlandes. They achieved this with large linen ballon, and floated for more than five miles over Paris, France.

The idea of filling a closed container with a substance that normally rises through the atmosphere was as early as the thirteen century. Over a five hundred year span, different substances came to be known as being lighter-than-air. Between 1650 and 1900 this approach was used to flight. The most common gases proposed was water vapor, helium and hydrogen. The first successful attempts at achieving flight using his type of crafts were made by the Montgolfier brothers in France. Their most successful attempt was in 1783 when in a public demonstration, they achieved 6000 ft in a balloon with a diameter of more than 100 ft. As time went by, it was soon recognized that balloons although able to achieve flight, were basically handicapped by a total lack of directional control. This problem was solved with the introduction of power plants or engines in elongated-like balloons. This elongated shape helped reduce drag in order to decrease the power size. The most successful builder of this type of lighter-than-air craft was Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, whose name is synonymous with large rigid dirigibles. The term "dirigible" really means controllable. In the early 1930's the German Graf Zeppelin machine was able to make a Trans-Atlantic flight to the United States. They flew 18 mph and had a rigid metal frame that kept it in flight even if gas or power was lost. The Zeppelin design was copied and improved by others throughout the world. One such airship was 3 times larger than a Boeing 747 and cruised at 68 mph. It made regular flights from Europe to South America in which 24 people had their own suites and dined from menus prepared by famous chefs.The large Hindenburg was equally successful until it was destroyed by fire while attempting a landing in 1937 in Lakehurst, New Jersey. The Hindenburg marked the end of large scale Zeppelin travel. Nowadays, the blimp has become ubiquitous, appearing over the skies of ballgames and large ouTDoor events.

Glider Flight

In 1804, a British inventor, George Cayley, built the first successful glider. His original craft was a small model. A later full-sized glider carried his coachman, going unwillingly, across a valley. He founded the study of aerodynamics, and was the first to suggest a fixed wing aircraft with a propeller.

Otto Lilienthal, a German, developed the first gliders in which the glider could be piloted. His work (1891-1896) inspired other inventors to take up the work of gliders. They included: Percy Pilcher of Great Britian, and Octave Chanute of the United States. These early gliders were hard to control, but could carry the pilot hundreds of feet into the air.

Powered Flight

In 1843, William S. Henderson, patented plans for the first plane with a engine, fixed wings, and propellers. After one unsucessful try the inventor gave up. Then in 1848, John Stringfellow built a small model which worked, but could only stay up a short period of time.

In 1890, a French engineer by the name of Clement Ader attemped flight in his steam powered plane. His plane failed, he could not control, or keep the plane in the air. A another steam powered plane, built by Sir Hiram Maxim, lifted off briefly, but did not fly. It was a gigantic steam powered machinw with two wings, two engines, and two propellers.

In the 1890's a American by the name of Samuel P. Langley, a scientist, attemped piloted flight. His early experiments involved a small steam powered plane called the aerodrome. In 1896 it flew half a mile in ninety seconds. Later he created a full-sized aerodrome with a gas engine which was designed for piloted flight. Two attempts were made, on October 7, 1903, and December 8, 1903, and both failed.

[John317]

Piloted Heavier-than-Air Powered Flights

The Wrights first became interested in flight after they began reading of Lilienthal's gliding flights in Germany. Upon his death they vowed to continue his progress. The Wright Brothers began flying gliders near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. For 4 years they made 1000 successful gliding flights on those dunes.

Unable to find an engine manufacturer to meet their specifications of 8 horsepower and engine weight of less than 200 pounds, they decided to design and build their own engine. Aided by their bicycle mechanic Charlie Taylor, they were able to build an engine that produced 12 horsepower. With the engine built, they then faced the problem of how to build a propeller since very little was known on the subject. Surprisingly, with their previously collected wing data, they were able to build accurately the engine propellers. Using the basic airframe of their 1902 Glider, the Kitty Hawk Flyer was born.

After numerous improvements, and studying how birds fly they were ready to test the Flyer out. They flipped a coin, and Wilbur won. They tested the Flyer, but the plane crashed after a wing dipped down. On December 17, 1903 it was Orville's turn which resulted in a 120-foot, 12-second flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The aircraft represented the first powered flight in a heavier-than-air machine.

After their success the Wright Brothers tried to sell their design to other governments.Since the brothers never made a official and public flight the governments were not about to spend on something they didn't even know that worked.

The first person to fly as a passenger was Leon Delagrange, who rode with French pilot Henri Farman from a meadow outside of Paris in 1908. Charles Furnas became the first American airplane passenger when he flew with Orville Wright at Kitty Hawk later that year.

Early Aircraft Companies

In 1905 Charles and Gabriel Voisin started the world's first aircraft company. They two French fliers set up a factory outside of Paris to build the custom planes. This was the first of many European companies to start.

The first US airplane company was founded by Glenn Curtiss in Hammondsport, New York. The first commerical airplane sale was made by this company to the Aeronautic Society of New York for 5,000 dollars.

In 1909, two other American aiplane companies were formed. The Wright brothers esablished one, and Glenn Martin formed another. The Wright brothers had their first official public flight in 1908. The US government, amazed by the capablility of the plane, ordered a specialized plane for 30,000 dollars. The world's first military plane was for use in the Army Signal Corps. In November of 1909, a group of wealthy Americans loaned the Wright brothers money to start their own plant. They started the Wright Company which quickly became the leading supplier of military planes. Later Wilbur died of typhoid in 1912, and Orville sold his portion out in 1915 to Eastern investors.

[John317]

But then why does everybody still claim that they were first in flight EVER?

The reason:

On December 17, 1903 it was Orville's turn which resulted in a 120-foot, 12-second flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The aircraft represented the first powered flight in a heavier-than-air machine.

It required American "know-how."

[Dr. Shane]

Vuia performed the first flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft in the history of aviation. It took off at Montesson, near Paris, on 18 March 1906, flying by the power of its engine with no auxiliary equipment.