Beginning around 1783, a few aeronauts, as they were known, made daring uncontrolled flights in “lighter-than-air” balloons, but it was soon realized that this was not a practical way to fly either. It wasn’t until the early nineteenth century that Sir George Cayley designed the first true fixed wing flying machine. His design used a kite mounted to a stick with a moveable tail and rows of flappers under the wings for thrust. Cayley’s craft however, still did not utilize the principle of engine propulsion.

In 1900, a man named of Gustave Whitehead had been building and flying gliders for the Boston Aeronautical Society when he decided to start experimenting with a flying machine of his own.

Now that the two brothers were confident about their crafts ability to fly, they shifted their focus to propulsion. They were on a mission to find an engine manufacturer that could design a motor that weighed less than 200 pounds with an output of 8 horsepower. They soon realized that in order to meet these specifications, they were going to have to build the motor themselves. With the assistance of the bicycle mechanic at the bicycle shop they operated, they designed an engine under the specifications that produced 12 horsepower. Now they had the dilemma of building a propeller. Although little information was known about this subject, they successfully designed a propeller with the knowledge acquired from their wing experiments. After redesigning the airframe in 1903, they finally had a name for their plane: the Kitty Hawk Flyer. On December 17, 1903, According to modern historical account, is when the Wright Brothers became the first aviators to experience self-propelled f!

The most remarkable gains in aviation occurred during the years of World War I and World War II. During this time many countries realized the potential that the airplane possessed on the battlefield. This transition from experimental to recreational to tactical aircraft gave way to more advances that any other period. The most significant advantage was the bomber plane. The earliest bombers were very crude. Due to their ability to only carry small loads, they were somewhat limited throughout WWI. Later throughout WWII, these bombers paved the way for the passenger aircraft we have today. This period also saw many other uses for aircraft in the military to include fighter, reconnaissance, and transport regimes. Overall improvements in aircraft speed, range, maneuverability, load c

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