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.
Read more about this topic: Early Flying Machines
Famous quotes containing the words claims, flying, machine and/or date:
“Before anything else, we need a new age of Enlightenment. Our present political systems must relinquish their claims on truth, justice and freedom and have to replace them with the search for truth, justice, freedom and reason.”
—Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990)
“Bonnie Lee: Oh, it’s the most wonderful thing I’ve ever seen.
Geoff Carter [sarcastically]: Yes, it reminded you of a great big, beautiful bird, didn’t it?
Bonnie: No, it didn’t at all. That’s why it’s so wonderful. It’s really a flying human being.
Geoff: Well, you’re right about one thing. A bird’d have too much sense to fly in that kind of muck.”
—Jules Furthman (1888–1960)
“One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.”
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915)
“Ev’rythin’s up to date in Kansas City.”
—Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960)