THE HISTORY OF FLIGHT AND THE PIONEERS OF FLIGHT by Davide Sandrin & 4M

From the myths and flying legends to the modern flight

2018/2019 MYTHS AND FLYING LEGENDS 10’000 B.C. – 200 A.D.

3 MAIN LEGENDS: • DAEDALUS & ICARUS: IMPRISONED BY MINOS, THEY BUILT TWO WAXED WINGS TO ESCAPE, BUT ICARUS FLEW TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN AND HIS WINGS MELTED. • PEGASUS: THE FLYING HORSE THAT COULD CARRY HIS RIDERS • THE ARABIAN FLYING CARPET

EILMER THE MONK FROM MALMESBURY 1000 A.D. – Malmesbury Abbey

• EILMER MADE THE FIRST GLIDING FLIGHT FROM THE ROOF OF MALMESBURY’S ABBEY • THE FLIGHT WAS 15 SECONDS LONG, AND IT WAS AN UNSUCCESSFUL FLIGHT, BECAUSE HE CRASHED WHILE HE WAS TRYING TO LAND. LEONARDO DA VINCI 15th April 1452 (Anchiano, Italy) – 2nd May 1519 (Amboise, France)

• HE WAS AN ITALIAN INVENTOR, WHOSE AREAS OF INTEREST INCLUDED INVENTION, DRAWING, PAINTING, SCULPTING, ARCHITECTURE, SCIENCE, MUSIC, MATHEMATICS, ENGINEERING, LITERATURE, ANATOMY, GEOLOGY, ASTRONOMY, BOTANY, WRITING, HISTORY, AND CARTOGRAPHY. • AFTER CAREFULLY EXAMINING THE FLIGHT OF THE BIRDS, HE SKETCHED VARIOUS FLYING MACHINES, LIKE ORITHOPTERS AND HELICOPTERS. • HIS CREATIONS, UNFORTUNATELY, COULDN’T LEAVE THE GROUND. THE MONTGOLFIER BROTHERS • Joseph Michael (1740 – 1810) and Jacques Etienne (1745 – 1799) • FRENCH INVENTORS OF THE FIRST HOT AIR BALLOON THAT SUCCESSFULLY CARRIED HUMANS. • 1ST FLIGHT (TETHERED UNMANNED FLIGHT): 4TH JUNE 1783 IN PARIS • 1ST UNTETHERED UNMANNED FLIGHT: 19TH SEPTEMBER 1783: 8 MINUTES, 3KM, MAXIMUM ALTITUDE OF 460M • 1ST TETHERED MANNED FLIGHT: 21ST NOVEMBER 1783, MADE BY JACQUES ETIENNE (WITH PILATRE DE ROZIER) JEAN-FRANÇOIS PILÂTRE DE ROZIER 1754 - 1785

• FRENCH PIONEER, HE FLEW WITH THE MONTGOLFIER BROTHERS IN THE PUBLIC DEMONSTRATIONS OF THE FIRST HOT AIR BALLOON; • HE DROVE THE HYDROGEN BALLOON, AN UPDATE OF THE MONTGOLFIER HOT AIR BALLOON. • HE WAS THE FIRST FATALITY OF FLIGHT: HE CRASHED WHILE HE WAS CROSSING THE CHANNEL IN 1785, AFTER HIS BALLOON SUDDENLY DEFLATED. JACQUES CHARLES 1746 - 1823

• FRENCH INVENTOR • HE DEVELOPED THE HYDROGEN BALLOON (PILATRE DROVE IT) • HE DISCOVERED THE RELATION BETWEEN PRESSURE, TEMPERATURE AND VOLUME, AFTER KNOWN AS THE GAY-LUSSAC LAW) • HE ALSO INVENTED THE HYDROMETER WITH A GONIOMETER. HENRI GIFFARD 1825 - 1885

• FRENCH INVENTOR AND ENGINEER; • HE DEVELOPED THE INJECTORS, BUT HE ALSO WORKED WITH THE DIRIGIBLES, IN FACT HE DESIGNED THE FIRST DIRIGIBLE WITH 3 STEAM ENGINES. • 1ST DIRIGIBLE FLIGHT: 24TH SEPTEMBER 1852 FROM PARIS TO E’LACOURT • HE SUICIDED IN 1885 BECAUSE OF HIS DEPRESSION RESULTING FROM THE DIMINISHING SIGHT.

COUNT FERDINAND VON ZEPPELING 1838 - 1917

• GERMAN INVENTOR AND PIONEER; • HE INVENTED THE FIRST HYDROGEN RIGID AIRSHIP/DIRIGIBLE THAT CAN CARRY PEOPLE, THE LZ-1; (1ST FLIGHT: 2ND JULY 1900 IN FRIEDRICHSHAFEN) • HE CONVINCED THE GERMAN ARMY TO ORDER OVER 100 RIGID AIRCRAFTS FOR MILITARY USES • HE BUILT 129 ZEPPELING AIRSHIPS IN TOTAL LZ 129 - HINDEMBURG Built in 1935 – disaster in 1937

• THE LZ 129 WAS A RIGID AIRSHIP DEDICATED TO HINDENBURG, THE PRESIDENT OF GERMANY IN 1935. • ON 6TH MAY 1937 THE HINDENBURG TOOK FIRE AND IT WAS DESTROYED IN 1-2 MINUTES, WHILE IT WAS LANDING NEAR NEW YORK, AFTER A TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT. • 35 OF 97 PASSENGERS DIED (+1 LAND CREW MEMBER). THE DISASTER WAS WELL RECORDED BY CAMERAMAN AND PHOTOGRAPHERS. See the video scanning this QR- Code: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AERODYNES AND AEROSTATS SIR GEORGE CAYLEY 1773 - 1857

• ENGLISH PIONEER AND ENGINEER • IN 1799 HE DESIGNED THE FIRST CONCEPTS OF THE FIRST PLANES • IN THE EARLY 1800S HE DESIGNED OVER 100 FLYING MODELS AND SMALL AERODYNE PROTOTYPES. OTTO LILIENTHAL 1848 - 1896

• GERMAN PIONEER • HE MADE THE FIRST WELL DOCUMENTED, REPORTED AND SUCCESSFUL GLIDING FLIGHT • HE MADE OVER 200 GLIDING FLIGHTS, AND HE DIED DURING A GLIDING FLIGHT SAMUEL PIERPONT LANGLEY 1834 - 1906

• AMERICAN AVIATOR • HE CREATED SMALL AERODYNE PROTOTYPES AND UNDERSTOOD THAT TRUST IS NEEDED TO OVERCOME DRAG. • HE ALSO INVENTED A BAROMETER TO MEASURE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SURFACE OF THE MOON WILBUR AND ORVILLE WRIGHT 1871 – 1948 1867 - 1912

• AMERICAN AVIATORS • THEY MADE THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL FLIGHT WITH A BIPLANE WITH A PILOT ON BOARD • THE FIRST FLIGHT TOOK PLACE AT KITTY HAWK BEACH ON 17TH DECEMBER 1903. THE FLIGHT WAS 12 SECONDS LONG AND IT COVERED A DISTANCE OF 36 METERS. THE FLYER ONE, THE NAME OF THE BIPLANE, DIDN’T HAVE THE TALE, SO THE PILOT COULDN’T CONTROL THE PICH AND THE ROLL. JOHN ALCOCK AND ARTHUR BROWN 1892 – 1919 1886 - 1948

• ENGLISH (JOHN) AND SCOTTISH (ARTHUR) PIONEERS • THEY MADE THE FIRST TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT TOGETHER, FROM SAINT JOHAN (CANADA) TO GALWAY ON 13TH JUNE 1919. • THEY COVERED A DISTANCE OF 3040 KM IN 16 HOURS AND 12 MINUTES, USING A VICKERS BIPLANE. • PROBLEMS DURING THE FLIGHT: • Fog and storm • Very heavy biplane (difficult to take off) • Electrical generation failed during the flight CHARLES LINDBERGH 1902 - 1974

• AMERICAN AVIATOR • HE MADE THE FIRST TRANATLANTIC SOLO FLIGHT FROM NEW YORK TO LE BOURGET, NEAR PARIS. • THE FLIGHT TOOK 33 HOURS AND 32 MINUTES, COVERING A DISTANCE OF 6000 KM, WITH THE AIRCRAFT NAMED “THE SPIRIT OF SAINT LOUIS”. • PROBLEMS DURING THE FLIGHT: • HE FLEW THROUGH A STORM • HE FELL ASLEEP • HE WAS HUNGRY AMELIA MARY EARHART 1897 – disappeared in 1937

• SHE WAS THE FIRST FEMALE PILOT TO MAKE A TRANSATLANTIC SOLO FLIGHT, FROM NEW FOUNDLAND (CANADA) TO WALES ON 17TH JUNE 1928. • THE FLIGHT TOOK 20 HOURS AND 40 MINUTES, AND SHE HAD NEVER FLOWN BEFORE. • ON 2ND JULY 1937 SHE DISAPPEARED IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN, TRYING TO CIRCUMNAVIGATE THE WORLD. HER DISAPPEARANCE IS STILL A MYSTERY, BECAUSE HER BODY AND HER AIRCRAFT WERE NEVER FOUND. MANFRED ALBRECHT FREIHERR VON RICHTHOFEN (THE RED BARON) 1892 - 1918

• HE WAS THE MOST KNOWN PILOT DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR. • HE SHOT DOWN THE FIRST KILL IN 1916, AND THEN HE WON 80 FLYING BATTLES. • THE NICKNAME COMES FROM THE FACT THAT HE USUALLY PAINTED WITH RED COLORS THE WINGS OR THE PLANE THAT HE HAD TO USE, TO BE NOTICED BY EVERYONE. FRANK WHITTLE 1907 - 1996

• BRITISH ENGINEER • HE DEVELOPED THE FIRST TURBO-JET ENGINE IN 1937 • DURING HIS LIFE, FRANK WAS A STUDENT, AN ENGINEER, A WRITER, A C.E.O. OF POWERJET COMPANY L.T.D. AND A TEACHER AT THE US NAVY ACADEMY.

IGOR SIKORSKY 1889 - 1972

• RUSSIAN ENGINEER; • IN 1914 HE CREATED THE FIRST MULTIENGINE AIRCRAFT WITH INTERNAL COMBUSTION; • IN 1939 HE CREATED THE FIRST HELICOPTER WITH AN ENGINE AND A TALE, NAMED VOUGHT SIKORSKY VS-300. UMBERTO NOBILE 1885 - 1978

• ITALIAN AVIATOR • COMMISSIONED IN THE ITALIAN AIR FORCE, NOBILE SPENT THE FIRST WORLD WAR OVERSEEING AIRSHIPS CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPING NEW DESIGNS. • HE WAS THE PILOT AND THE LEADER OF THE ITALIA AIRSHIP EXPEDITION IN NORTH POLE IN 1928. ON 25TH MAY 1928 THE ITALIA DIRIGIBLE CRASHED NEAR NORDAUSTLAND ISLAND. NOBILE SURVIVED WITH SOME MEMBERS OF THE CREW, AND THEY WERE RESCUED AFTER A CONTROVERSIAL RESEARCH. THE CONCORDE 1969 - 2003 • SUPERSONIC AIR TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT, PRODUCED BY THE “BRITISH AEROSPACE AEROSPATIALE” COMPANY. • ON 21ST JANUARY 1976 IT BEGAN THE COMMERCIAL FLIGHT WITH AIR FRANCE AND BRITISH AIRWAYS. IT BECAME THE 2ND COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT TO REACH MACH 2 • ON 25TH JULY 2000 AT 4:43 PM. THE FLIGHT AIR FRANCE 4590 CRASHED IN A FIELD NEAR CHARLES DE GAULLE, KILLING 109 PEOPLE. • ON 24TH OCTOBER 2003 BRITISH AIRWAYS AND AIR FRANCE DISMISSED THE CONCORDE, BECAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT, THE HIGH COSTS AND THE LOW PASSENGERS CAPACITY. AIRBUS A380 First flight: 27th April 2005

• THE AIRBUS A380 IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST PASSENGER AIRLINER, A WIDE- BODY AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURED BY AIRBUS. • THE FULL-LENGTH DOUBLE-DECK AIRCRAFT HAS A TYPICAL SEATING CAPACITY OF 525, THOUGH IT IS CERTIFIED FOR UP TO 853 PASSENGERS. IT IS POWERED BY FOUR ENGINE ALLIANCE GP7200 OR ROLLS-ROYCE TRENT 900 TURBOFANS PROVIDING A RANGE OF 8,000 NM (14,800 KM). AS OF FEBRUARY 2019, AIRBUS HAS RECEIVED 290 FIRM ORDERS AND DELIVERED 234 AIRCRAFT; EMIRATES IS THE BIGGEST A380 CUSTOMER WITH 123 ORDERED, OF WHICH 109 HAVE BEEN DELIVERED.