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Aviation History
1913
1913 - 0704.PDF
j/ijGHT JULY 5, 1913- T •Hi WRIQHT • 1903 H imwiiaiiiimiJiMM ' HI" •IIIIM^^M " ' "Flight" Copyright. Sketch from a photograph of an early Wright biplane.—The Wrights built their first successful power-driven machine in 1903, and first flew on December 17th of that year. By the end of 1905 they had flown several single journeys exceeding 20 miles in length. THIS is the tenth anniversary of the conquest of the air by the aero plane, and it is appropriate that our special number should be made to commemorate the work of the pioneers, as well as other incidental facts, such as, for example, that FLIGHT itself is already in its fifth year of publication. It was on December 17th, 1903, that the Wrights first achieved power-driven flight with their aeroplane (the first account of which in any English newspaper appeared in FLIGHT'S parent journal— the AUTO.), and prior to that day no man could claim properly to have flown at all. The most important work preceding this accomplishment of the Wrights was, unquestionably, the gliding experiments practised by themselves and by others, commencing with Lilienthal. With Lilienthal's introduction of the glider the practical side of the art of aviation assumed its first real existence Otto Lilienthal any suitable engine—provided the experimenter could arrange t o fly downhill under the propelling force of gravity—Lilienthal con structed a machine that he purposed using as an aerial toboggan. His glider consisted of a pair of rigid outstretched wings measuring 23 ft. in span, and having, after various alterations, an area of 86 sq. ft. The wings were cambered, and they were surfaced with cotton twill stretched over a light framework of willow. The machine weighed only 40 lbs. complete. In order to balance the glider in flight, Lilienthal relied upon his own dexterity in moving his body to and fro or from side to side whenever it was necessary to counteract a shifting of the centre of pressure under the wings. There can be no doubt that the use of his apparatus was fraught with considerable danger, but Lilienthal brought an immense enthusiasm to his work, which was not only an encouragement for himself, but a source of inspiration to others. Among those who took great interest in Lilienthal's experiments was Pilcher, then a young English engineer whose name was associ ated with the firm of Wilson and Pilcher, at one time well known in " Flight" Copyright. Lillenthal's glider, one of a series built in Germany between 1890 and 1896. With the introduction of these machines real practice in the art of flying first commenced. was born at Anclam, in Pomerania, in 1848, and he died in 1896 as the result of a fall during one of his flights. His first work of note was the publication of a book entitled " Bird Flight as a Basis of Aviation," which has since been translated into English, and constitutes one of the classics that should find a place in the library of every student of flight. In 1891, having come to the conclusion that it was possible to gain some practical experience in the air, in spite of the absence of Copyright. Pilcher's glider, built on somewhat similar lines to the Lilienthal machine, but having among other differences a light-wheeled undercarriage in order to relieve the pilot of its weight when landing and while on the ground, the automobile industry before their cars were taken over by Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth. He designed gliders of his own, more or less on Lilienthal lines, and at one time went over to Germany in order to discuss the subject with Lilienthal himself. If anything, he adopted an even more dangerous procedure than the German pioneer, for in order to avoid the necessity of finding a suitable hill as an aerodrome, he would attain the initial altitude necessary for a gliding flight by having his machine towed like a kite. An accident during 73°
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