Pilots, Planes and Pioneers

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hile the Wright brothers may have been the first to make a sustained, controlled flight, they were just two among hundreds of brave men and women who helped to give the world its wings during the earliest days of aviation. Their Flyer was but one of many historically important aircraft. Below are brief descriptions and photos of some of the most important people and planes, and where available resources and links where you can find more information. In some cases, contributors have supplied expanded histories and biographies. Those are listed at the right and linked below.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

 

 
 
John Browning was a renowned optician and instrument maker in London, England. Together with Francis Herbert Wenham he built the first wind tunnel in 1871. It was a simple affair, just a 10-foot (3 meters) long duct, 18 inches (46 cm) to a side. A steam engine at one end drove a fan, creating a airstream of about 40 mph (64 kph). They used it to prove that cambered wings produce more lift than other shapes. They were also the first investigators to study the aspect ratio (wingspan to chord) of wings.
 

John Browning.
 

An advertisement for one of Browning's telescopes.
William Paul Butusov, Russian immigrant and sailor, built  bird-like aircraft modeled after Jean-Marie Le Bris's gliders. In 1896 he built a large glider, the Albatross, designed to be launched off a sloping rail. It was tested in August near Miller, Indiana along with other glider designs brought together by Octave Chanute. It's performance was disappointing.
 

William Butusov standing beside the frame of his Albatross.
 

The Albatross, ready to launch from the Indiana Dunes in 1896..
 

 

 


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"Aviation is proof that – given the will – we can do the impossible."
 Eddie Rickenbacker

 

 

A History of the Airplane/Pilots, Planes and Pioneers B

Biographies of Aviation Pioneers

 

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