Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

internetworkers - Re: [internetworkers] the history books

internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Michael Winslow Czeiszperger <michael AT czeiszperger.org>
  • To: "Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/" <internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [internetworkers] the history books
  • Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2003 23:14:38 -0400


On Friday, April 25, 2003, at 07:26 PM, machett AT ibiblio.org wrote:

" I mean, the Wright Bros. weren't the first to fly a powered aircraft"


That depends on how you define "fly". From the links given:

"According to his son Fred's eyewitness account, the first flight was a bit of a disaster. The aircraft rose sharply from the end of the wire, stalled, and dropped back on its tail, which broke. But a later flight was a spectacular success; the plane flew for more than 10 yards before punching a hole in the canvas screen at the end of the mill."

"Wild and inaccurate statements have been publicised from time to time concerning Richard Pearse's achievements in the field of aviation. However, no responsible researcher has ever claimed that he achieved fully controlled flight before the Wright brothers, or indeed at any time."

I really need to get the domain "firstinflightsucks.com" or something similar, as I can't believe the citizens of NC have the gall to believe NC has anything but a tiny claim of involvement with the Wright Brothers, who never were citizens of the state. The brothers conceived, designed, built, and tested their planes in Dayton, OH, and were only in NC for a total of few months of test flights where they practiced flying. The only thing this says about NC is it has wind and sand on the coast. They were never citizens of NC and lived their entire lives in Dayton.*

While others created similarly looking crude planes, and may have managed to get them off the ground for short periods of time, the Wrights were the only ones who could back up their designs with math and science, creating theories based on research, and then comparing the predictions with real-life measurements. It was this understanding that allowed them to further refine their designs into practical working vehicles, being the first to develop a practical flight vehicle.

Scientific Achievements:
http://www.first-to-fly.com/Adventure/Workshop/lift_and_drift.htm

Timelines:
http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/wright/chrono.asp
http://centennialofflight.gov/timeline/search_timeline_result.cfm

First in Flight: Ohio or NC?
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0310/p02s01-usgn.html

* Wilbur was born in Indiana and moved to Ohio at age 3. Orville was born in Ohio.

________________________________________________________________________ _________
Run, run, run, as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the stinky cheese man!
-- michael at czeiszperger dot org, Chapel Hill, NC




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page