CHAPTER 1 DREAMING OF FLIGHT DREAMING OF FLIGHT Humans have been trying to fly since Humans have been trying to fly since ancient times Inventors tried to build ancient times Inventors tried to build ornithopters or machines with flapping ornithopters or machines with flapping wings But none got off the ground wings But none got off the ground The first successful flight took place The first successful flight took place in (cid:3)(cid:2)(cid:1)(cid:127) in France Joseph-Michel and in in France Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier launched Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier launched a giant balloon made of silk and paper a giant balloon made of silk and paper Ukrainian architect Vladimir Tatlin designed this Ukrainian architect Vladimir Tatlin designed this ornithopter ornithopter 5
Burning straw and wool heated air inside the balloon This made the balloon rise In Sir George Cayley built the first glider It soared on air currents Henri Giffard built the first airship in It was powered by a steam engine that turned a propeller In Nikolaus Otto invented the gasoline engine It was lighter and more powerful than the steam engine Orville and Wilbur Wright used Otto’s idea to develop their own engine They used their engine to build the world’s first powered airplane Their airplane was made of wood and covered with cloth A gasoline engine powered two propellers 6
On its first flight the Wright brothers plane flew feet ž m The pilot lay on a wooden cradle He moved his body to turn the plane The Wright brothers flew their airplane for the first time in 7
