07-09-2003, 11:40 PM
That one is a clouded bit of history, to be sure. I did a little bit of research on that period in aviation history last year and came to the conclusion that there are at least a dozen aviators with a tenuous claim to being the first to achieve powered flight. Change the criteria of what constitutes "powered flight" just a little and someone else steps up to take the throne.
Many New Zealanders would have others believe Richard Pearse beat the Wright Brothers by six months, despite Pearse's own claims that the Wight Brothers beat him to it, but there's plenty of other evidence out there to say others had managed the feat as early as 1901 (An ex-pat Austrian in New York state IIRC). A classic example of where the critera goes haywire would be the Danish aviator (who's name escapes me) who had no room to build a straight runway and instead opted to build a circular one. Tethering his aircraft to a central anchoring point he was able to achieve lift, but even with the wheels off the ground his machine was still technically touching the ground (via the tether). :lol:
The Wright Brothers did manage to achieve something that can't be denied though. They became the first to gain official recognition for the feat of achieving powered flight. The world had largely ignored them until 1908 when they finally won recognition in France. Look up "Smithsonian Conspiracy" for some interesting reading.
1903. Powered Flight
2003. 100 year anniversary of powered flight this year.
Many New Zealanders would have others believe Richard Pearse beat the Wright Brothers by six months, despite Pearse's own claims that the Wight Brothers beat him to it, but there's plenty of other evidence out there to say others had managed the feat as early as 1901 (An ex-pat Austrian in New York state IIRC). A classic example of where the critera goes haywire would be the Danish aviator (who's name escapes me) who had no room to build a straight runway and instead opted to build a circular one. Tethering his aircraft to a central anchoring point he was able to achieve lift, but even with the wheels off the ground his machine was still technically touching the ground (via the tether). :lol:
The Wright Brothers did manage to achieve something that can't be denied though. They became the first to gain official recognition for the feat of achieving powered flight. The world had largely ignored them until 1908 when they finally won recognition in France. Look up "Smithsonian Conspiracy" for some interesting reading.
1903. Powered Flight
2003. 100 year anniversary of powered flight this year.
Heed the Song of Battle and Unsheath the Blades of War