Early Flying Machines - Claims To First Flying Machine (unmanned) By Date

Claims To First Flying Machine (unmanned) By Date

• Archytas, Ancient Greece

According to Aulus Gellius, the Ancient Greek philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, statesman, and strategist, Archytas, (428–347 BC) was reputed to have designed and built the first artificial, self-propelled flying device, a bird-shaped model propelled by a jet of what was probably steam, said to have actually flown some 200 metres. This machine, which its inventor called The Pigeon (Greek: Περιστέρα "Peristera"), may have been suspended on a wire or pivot for its flight.

• Bartolomeu de Gusmão, Brazil and Portugal, an experimenter with early airship designs

In 1709 Bartolomeu de Gusmão demonstrated a small airship model before the Portuguese court, but never succeeded with a full-scale model.

• Mikhail Lomonosov, Russia — 1754

In July 1754, Mikhail Lomonosov demonstrated a small tandem rotor to the Russian Academy of Sciences. This aerodyne was self-powered by a spring.

• George Cayley, United Kingdom — 1804

In 1804 Cayley built and successfully flew a 5 ft (1.5 m) glider with a kite-shaped wing and an adjustable cruciform tail.

• Alphonse Pénaud, France — 1871

An early successful model aeroplane was the rubber-powered "Planophore". The 0.45 m (1 ft 6 in) span model achieved a flight of 60 m (200 ft) in August 1871.

• Victor Tatin, France, 1879

First aeroplane to lift itself under its own power, the Aeroplane was powered by a compressed-air engine.

• Chūhachi Ninomiya, Japan — 1894

Developed several small powered models including an early tailless aircraft.