Even humans have an ancestral dream of flight.

The idea of the airplane, however, is barely two

centuries old. Women and men tried to fly like birds before that point in time. In order to fly, they
attached wings to their arms or created ornithopters with flapping wings. It looked like a nice idea at
first glance. So, there are many birds in the sky to prove that the idea is indeed effective.

The issue is that it performs better at the smaller scale required to raise both a man and a machine off
the ground, but not at the bigger scale. Many began to seek new means of flying. In 1783, a few aviators
began testing the use of lighter-than-air balloons, each of which contained either hot air or hydrogen
gas. But this method of flight is not ideal. If the wind did not blow in the desired direction, one could not
move from here to there.

It was not until the early 1800s that a Yorkshire baronet who hailed from the dark moors of England
came up with a flying contraption that had a propulsion system and fixed wings, along with adjustable
control surfaces. The core premise of the airplane was this. Also invented the first actual aircraft, a
model created with a vertical tail that could be raised and lowered via the simple expedient of rotating a
lever. However, it was a rough prototype that, although functional, also had a few problems, which
would be resolved in later models. These early prototypes were the starting point for what would
eventually become our modern high-speed spacecraft.

The museum's Early History of Flight wing highlights the airplane's early origins, from its invention in
1799 through just before World War I. Our organization, as a pioneer aviation museum, doesn't devote
a significant deal of effort to the years following the Wright Company's 1916 closure, when Orville
Wright left. The main focus of our work has been on planes, which were considered somewhat of a
novelty prior to their widespread use; in fact, it was nearly impossible to predict whether they would get
airborne at all or land in one piece.

The airplane history has four parts:

Leonardo DaVinci's man-carrying ornithopter design with flapping wings, created in 1490.

1783 Hot-air ballon from Montgolfier.

Sir George Cayley's fixed-wing aircraft plan of 1799.

one hundred years ago

Sir George Cayley's first scientific design for a fixed-wing aircraft was created in 1799, and identified the
forces of lift and drag. Scientists and engineers used the knowledge gained from his work in aeronautics
to construct and test airplanes. A youngster who was just ten years old piloted the first manned glider
flight in 1849, which was designed by Cayley. Felix duTemple invented the first attempt at a powered
flight with a steam-driven monoplane by leaping off the end of a ramp in 1874. Francis Wenham and
Horatio Phillips, among others, used wind tunnels and whirling arms to study cambered wing designs. In
1894, Sir Hiram Maxim took off (but crashed horribly) in a biplane "test rig." While Lilienthal was still
learning to handle a small glider, Otto Lilienthal also made the first controlled flights, changing his body
weight to turn. After their accomplishment, Wilbur and Orville Wright want to build a plane that has
control surfaces to steer it while it's in the air. On December 17, 1903, they will be the first to take off in
a controlled, sustained, and powered flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

The first aircraft from 1799 to 1853 Airmen and Chauffers, 1854 to 1879, 1880 to 1898.

Kitty Hawk, 1899 to 1903: The Journey

In 1843, William Henson designed the Aerial Steam Carriage, the first aircraft to include propellers.

French aviator Felix du Temple's successful trial run of a man-carrying powered aircraft was made in
1874. He failed.

THE YEARS FOLLOWING

Right after the Wright Brothers demonstrate the first of their powered flights in 1903, they begin to
transform their experimental planes into something that is ready for consumers. The "practical flying
machine" they believe they have by 1905. Others who conduct experiments pick up on their progress
and are inspired to build on their achievement. Already by 1906, aviators are making unstable flights in
unstable craft. Seeing the Wright brothers' demonstration flights in 1909 helped them see the necessity
and brilliance of three-axis aerodynamic control. They soon catch up to, then outperform the Wright
Flyers in aircraft performance. As designers and pilots produce floating planes, flying boats, passenger
aircraft, observation platforms with radios and wireless telegraphs, fighters, and bombers, the
possibilities and uses of aircraft proliferate. During World War I, planes were a crucial element of both
war and peace.

Landing Without Crashing, 1904 to 1905 Wake Up Call, 1905 to 1909

This plane from 1905 was the first to have the capabilities of navigation and flight time.
Although created and tested by the British in 1910, the Dunne flying wing was the first secret aircraft.

flight crew, airplanes, and aviation pioneers

Pioneers of aviation had stories of daring and bravery to tell, even if their planes were difficult to control
and seemingly impossible to fly. The collective comprised an eclectic mix of researchers, entrepreneurs,
adventurers, warriors, and people who just sought to challenge cultural and personal barriers. They all
left their mark on the globe in one way or another by blazing the road across the skies. This alphabetized
collection of short biographies is meant to serve as a simple reference. The bio for some of the more
prominent leaders was increased in length, and we want to add much more.

A-Z Concise Biographies of Aviation Pioneers

The Wright/Smithsonian Controversy

The first female licensed pilot in the U.S. was Harriet Quimby, who achieved her license in 1911.

Who was the first one?

Although the Wright brothers' Kitty Hawk and Huffman Prairie flights had barely been reported when
other accounts emerged claiming that others had been the first to fly. The recognition that these
pretenders to aviation innovation have earned should not be denied to them. It's notable that none of
the few outliers mentioned their award. They gained it, although they only did so years after finishing
their work. People who made these assertions generally had obvious reasons, such as the need to
protect their name, to grind an axe, to sell books, or to promote tourism. The conclusions of most
aviation historians are presented in the following accounts. Additionally, we discuss a contentious deal
between the Wright estate and the Smithsonian, a conspiracy theory favorite aimed to bury whatever
truth the government wanted to keep under wraps.