Who Invented the Airplane?

Uh, oh, this could lead to lots of debate everywhere.

PETROPOLIS, Brazil (Reuters) - As Americans prepare to celebrate the centennial of the Wright brother's first flight, a whole country is cringing at what it believes to be a historical injustice against one of its most beloved heroes.

Ask anyone in Brazil who invented the airplane and they will say Alberto Santos-Dumont, a 5-foot-4-inch (1.6 meter) bon vivant who was as known for his aerial prowess as he was for his dandyish dress and high society life in Belle Epoque Paris.

Who Invented the Airplane? a Brazilian, of Course

How would you define "flight" of an airplane? I think that is what it all boils down to.

"Flight" as far as i've heard is supposed to be Controlled Mechanical Flight.

Interesting story...

He would keep his dirigible tied to a gas lamp post in front of his Paris apartment at the Champs-Elysees and every night he would fly to Maxim's for dinner. During the day he'd fly to go shopping, he'd fly to visit friends," Hoffman told Reuters

Seems obvious though, that he was more of a balloonist. The article fails to depict his "plane" only describing it as a kite-like boxy contraption....(unless I missed it). So the question is, could his device take off, and achieve powered flight? If I recall, the Wright Bros. plane, has been flown more recently to prove the point, as have replicas of it, showing that it didn't need either a catapult, nor strong winds to achieve takeoff....

Semantics really, as I doubt we'll see all the history books get changed. History is written by the winners, and if you fail to make the world notice your invention....well....you've nobody to blame but yourself....

Yeah, this one will probably never be resolved. However, the first instance of ACHIEVING controlled flight is pretty cinched up...

Oh well, we can't get a clear call on Calculus either

The first person to actually sustain controlled, powered flight was not one of the Wright brothers.

It was Richard Pearse of New Zealand a few months before in a more advanced flying machine of his own design & construction. On 31-3-1902 he flew about 350 yards, and on 11-5-1903 flew over 1,000 yards, out of ground effect & including several turns.

Link

Netchicken ? Where are you ?

Originally posted by Valhall
Yeah, this one will probably never be resolved. However, the first instance of ACHIEVING controlled flight is pretty cinched up...

Oh well, we can't get a clear call on Calculus either

So what's the story on CALCULUS ? I thought Sir Isaac Newton invented it.

hey man its all about who does it first. controlled manual flight was the wright brothers

Originally posted by Valhall
Yeah, this one will probably never be resolved. However, the first instance of ACHIEVING controlled flight is pretty cinched up...

Oh well, we can't get a clear call on Calculus either

what do you mean a clear cal on calculus. are you talking who came up with it? i think it was newton that came up wih it.

the wright brothers.

Balloons, blimps and other dirigibles do not count as they do not require power to fly. Flying requires a vehicle that has no floating properties that is able to take off and fly to an area higher than its take off point through powered means.

Originally posted by KrazyIvan

Originally posted by Valhall
Yeah, this one will probably never be resolved. However, the first instance of ACHIEVING controlled flight is pretty cinched up...

Oh well, we can't get a clear call on Calculus either

what do you mean a clear cal on calculus. are you talking who came up with it? i think it was newton that came up wih it.

Newton and Liebnitz came up with it concurrently. Which is a very interesting study in synchronicity, don't you think?

Nerdling,

Don't forget Octave Chanute.



[Edited on 11-12-2003 by Valhall]

Is duration of control a requirement, of "Controlled Mechanical Flight"?

Just to narrow down the specifics, I would like to offer a quote from a site I read.

"More than 500 years after Leonardo da Vinci first sketched out designs for manned flight, British engineers have succeeded in putting his ideas into practice...It is part of a widespread revival of interest in da Vinci�s hundreds of mechanical designs..."





ANU

Advisor,

You are correct, if we really want to get down to "documented concept" Da Vinci would win hands down.

Yes, there was a time requirement in ascertaining whether controlled flight had been achieved.

But, I would like to point out that the questions was "who invented the airplane", not who proved their design would meet the requirements of controlled flight.