First motored flight was NOT done by Wrights

First, I want to say, that historycally the FIRST is important only in case, if it triggers some processes. For excample despite, it's clear that vikings were clearly before Columbus in America, that is not very important historically, cause it was just only known for small group of vikings and that knowledge died with those people. So, for the motored flight Wrights are important. The real first is important just like historical fact.

The reason, I write this is that the person who made the very first successful motored flight, was estonian (my countryman), who lived in swiss this time. The name was Alexander Liwentaal and the flight was made in England. It lasted 80 meters (longer than Wrights first flights) and ended when the pilot tryed to land the plane. Plane crashed, pilot broke his both legs, and the man was forced to live in wheechair.

Plane: Kind of a strange biplane with the wings located after each other (not above). 24m² and engine with 24hp. The flight was made in 1898 in England. Excact story there: http://www.ekspress.ee/arhiiv/2001/34/aosa/kuum15.html It has some pictures so it's worth to watch despite the text is only in Estonian. Scroll down a bit until You find some pictures (and that's not the story about the Ikaros).

The finding was done by three man Johannes Tilk, Toivo Kitvel and Frits Gerdessen, who are writing a book about Estonian aviation.

Regards,

Well, if they guy ended up in a wheelchair, I'd hardly call it a 'successful' flight.

In my book 'A Glider Pilot bold....', on page 7, I show a picture (drawing) of Albert Liwental and a glider which he designed and built himself. He become airborne over the Dart River in Devon, England in 1894.

Hopefully that will silenced my critics who accused me of inventing him!

Wally Kahn

Although not really proven, the frenchman Clément ADER claims to have done a powered flight of 300 m in 1897 with the 'Avion III'. He used a steam engine !... Without any practical evolution after that 'flight' (he destroyed all his material being discouraged by the very low interest of the french army for his achievement).

It would be interesting to try to gather objective information about this topic. Can anyone communicate proven facts ? - (please, no 'believes' or ' it seems that' - but scientific stuff ...)

Guy Ventus B Belgium

Wasn't 'longer than Wrights first flights', either. Orville's first flight on Dec. 17, 1903 may only have been 120ft (about 37m) in 12 seconds, but Wilbur upped the unofficial world distance and endurance records to 852ft (173m) in 59 seconds with the fourth flight on the same day. More even than what they accomplished that day, their greatest 'first success' may have been in having documented every scientific reason necessary to have confidence in the outcome. 'First to fly' may be a stretch, but it fits a license plate better than 'first to fly under control'.

8)

It is not even 100% clear that the Wright brothers were the first AMERICANS to make a motored flight. It really is a matter of definition. In hindsight, many historians think that the Wright brothers most important contribution to aviation was in their identification of adverse yaw and their subsequent perfection of three-axis control.

In other words, their development of the principle (3-axis control) on which all (OK - 99.44%) of subsequent aviation has been based.

It sounds like the flight was OK - it was the landing that was a bit iffy! 8-)

Keith

snip

I do not wish to detract from the significant achievement of the Wrights. They were clearly the first in may ways despite later claims from various other protagonists and their supporters, often based on hindsight and somewhat dubious evidence.

But the Wrights' original concepts of control and stability surfaces forward of the C of G and wing warping for lateral control were hardly about what 'all subsequent aviation has been based'.

This is no criticism of a powered glider flying at 30 miles per hour in December 1903. But the features mentioned above have not stood the test of time and slightly faster aerial vehicles, as I am sure that the Wrights themselves would have acknowledged!

The guy who invented the 'little wing' (aileron) was a genius. Who was he?

Wing warping was condemned to the dustbin of history, together with the bodies of those whose wings warped off!

The forward surface was re-invented with more rigid structural materials than were available to the brothers W. I do not think that W and O thought as far as canards for supersonic flight!

I believe that was Glenn Curtis. I seem to remember reading there was a big patent fight and the Wrights lost.

Bill Daniels

That doesn't *sound* very sucessful. And though the Wright brothers first flight was shorter than that, they had flights three times longer on the SAME DAY. And without breaking their aircraft or themselves.

Lots of people had powered flights before the Wright brothers. Cayly in England. Pearse here in New Zealand. The Writgh's claim to fame isn't in getting off the ground first, but in doing it in a controlled way.

Their very first flights were only months ahead of their competition, but by the end of the next year they were several *years* ahead ofeveryone else in their accomplishmnts: sucessful flights in circles, figures eights, 30 minute cross-country flights etc.

They richly deserve their place in history.