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 n the
century after the first sustained, controlled flights at Kitty Hawk, aircraft technology
progressed at a pace that has been unequalled by any other invention, save the computer.
The Wright brother's best flight on December 17, 1903 covered only 852 feet at a speed of
about 34 mph. Today, aircraft routinely fly across oceans at speeds in excess of 1000 mph.
The space shuttles circles the globe at over 15,000 mph.
Fastest Ever
These timelines list the events the brought us from Kitty Hawk to
outer space in less than a century. Forgive us if they seem to dwell on
the first fifteen years of aviation and give short shrift to everything
that came after. We are, after all, a virtual museum of pioneer
aviation.
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The First to Fly, 1904 to 1909
–
The Wright Brothers develop their temperamental Kitty Hawk Flyer into
a practical airplane, then they show the world how to fly. Meanwhile,
airplane builders on both sides of the Atlantic air making tentative
flights of their own.
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The Pioneers, 1910 to 1914
–
Once shown the way, aeronautical engineers in America and Europe
quickly catch up to the Wrights and surpass them. Races and air meets
improve the speed and endurance of aircraft. The box-kite appearance
of the first primitive pusher aircraft gives way to the streamlined
design of the tractor biplanes and monoplanes.
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The Great War, 1915 to 1918
– The First World War elevates the aircraft from a machine for
scouting and observation to a versatile weapon with both defensive and
offensive roles in warfare. The first fighters and bombers appear
during this conflict.
- The Rest of the Story, 1919 to 2010
– As the airplane develops
into a practical and capable means of transportation, three
distinct forms evolve –
general aviation, commercial aviation, and military aviation.
Each form evolves distinct types of aircraft, designed for
specific purposes.
During the years between the Wright brothers' first powered flights and World
War I, many renowned scientists, engineers, and pilots helped shape the future
of aviation. Among them, these few stand out not just as pioneers but also
trailblazers.
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It may go faster, but look inside the Space Shuttle cockpit and
you'll find the very same stick-and-rudder control system...
...developed by Louis Bleriot for the
Bleriot XI in 1909.
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Ferdinand Ferber, a captain in the French army, was
experimenting with Lilienthal-type gliders in 1899 at a time when
most of his flight-minded contemporaries had abandoned airplanes for
dirigibles. After hearing of the Wright brothers' work in 1902, he
built rude copies of their gliders. He had little success at first,
but when he moved the elevator to the rear to create a horizontal
tail, his gliders became more stable and flights more satisfactory.
Later, he collaborated with the Voisons to help design their first
successful aircraft. His most important contribution, however, was
his passion and enthusiasm for fixed-wing flight and his
determination to persuade his fellow Frenchmen to see its
possibilities.
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Ferdinand Ferber.
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Gabriel Voison flies Ferber's tail-in-back glider in 1904. The
triangular surfaces on the ends of the wings serve as rudders.
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Alberto Santos Dumont, a renowned Brazilian aeronaut residing
in France, was among the first to follow Ferber's advice. After
hearing tales of the Wrights' accomplishments, he set aside his
dirigibles and
began work on both a helicopter and an aircraft. He abandoned his
helicopter but his aircraft, the 14 Bis, flew on 23
October 1906 for a little over 200 feet (60 meters) and then again
on 12 November 1906 for 726 feet (220 meters), the first powered
flights in Europe. These events
galvanized Europe and fixed-wing flight research began in earnest.
Later Santos Dumont designed the Demoiselle, a popular
monoplane considered by many to be the first ultralight.
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Santos Dumont pilots the 14 Bis
in October of 1906. The aircraft had no tail; the box-like surfaces
at the front of the aircraft -- the canard -- served as both
elevator and rudder.
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Alberto Santos Dumont.
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Charles and Gabriel Voison established the world's first
aircraft factory in Billancourt, France in 1906, making airplanes to
order. In 1907, they made two successful aircraft, one for
Leon Delagrange and another for Henri Farman. Although similar to
Wright aircraft in configuration, Voison machines had tails with
both horizontal and vertical stabilizing surfaces. With these
airplanes, Delagrange was able to make repeated flights up to 1650
feet (500 meters) and Farman flew a full kilometer (about 5/8 mile)
making a complete 360-degree turn.
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Gabriel (left) and Charles (right) Voison.
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When the Voison-Delagrange aircraft first flew in early 1907 , it
looked like a Wright airplane married to a huge box-kite tail. Over
the year, it evolved to have a single surface elevator, dihedral
wings with side curtains, and a much smaller tail.
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Glenn Curtiss was a motorcycle manufacturer when built his
first airplane, the June Bug, for the Aerial Experimentation
Association in 1908. That same year he won the Scientific American
Trophy for being first to fly a kilometer (officially). He soon
became a major force in the early aviation industry, popularizing
the use of ailerons for roll control, developing pontoons and the
flying boat, and building the first American airplane to be used in
a military campaign (the JN-3). The Curtiss OX-5 was the
first mass-produced aviation engine, powering a generation of light
aircraft.
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The Curtiss Model E was the first successful flying boat. Note the
ailerons mounted between the wings.
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Glenn H. Curtiss.
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Louis Bleriot, an inventor and manufacturer of automobile
headlamps, built a long line of unsuccessful airplanes until he
teamed up with Raymond Saulnier in 1909 to produce the
Bleriot XI. He became the first to fly across the English
Channel on 25 July 1909, giving his fledging airplane company a
much-needed shot in the arm. The wide popularity of the Bleriot
XI helped firmly establish the advantages of the "tractor"
(engine first, tail last) configuration. Bleriot also developed the
standard stick-and-rudder control system still in use today. |
Louis Bleriot.
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The Bleriot XI not only was
the first airplane to cross a large body of water (the English
Channel), it was also the first airplane to be used for a military
campaign (1911) and aerobatics (1913).
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Geoffrey DeHavilland built his first airplane in 1909,
wrecked it, then sold his second to the British War Office. He
joined the Royal Aircraft Factory in 1911 and within a year had
produced two historically important aircraft, the B.E.2 and
the B.S.1. The B.E.2, after some modifications became
the first inherently stable aircraft, a crucial
characteristic for all general and commercial aircraft. The B.S.1,
with its sleek aerodynamics, was the first of the "second
generation" aircraft and as such marked the beginning of the end for
the pioneer era of aviation.
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The Royal Aircraft Factory B.S.1,
first test-flown in 1912, is considered by many
aviation historians to be the prototype for all World War I
fighters.
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Geoffrey DeHavilland.
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