Most people, I think, are, these days, of the view that the first flight in an aeroplane was achieved by Wilbur and Orvill Wright at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina on December 17 1903. However, whilst there is no doubt that they flew on that day, they probably weren't the first.
For a start, on this day August 18 in 1903, Karl Jatho, a German pioneer and inventor flew with his self-made motored gliding airplane a distance of 60 m, flying at up to 10 ft (3 m) high. This was almost twice as far as Orville Wright's first controlled flight four months later, which was of 36 m (120 ft) in 12 seconds. He had four witnesses for his flight.
For a start, on this day August 18 in 1903, Karl Jatho, a German pioneer and inventor flew with his self-made motored gliding airplane a distance of 60 m, flying at up to 10 ft (3 m) high. This was almost twice as far as Orville Wright's first controlled flight four months later, which was of 36 m (120 ft) in 12 seconds. He had four witnesses for his flight.
For you design buffs, it is interesting to note that Jatho's aeroplane was modeled on the Zanonia seed, a seed that was known for its gliding capability. Sadly however, in contrast to the Wright Brother's plane, the wings of Jagos giant zanonia seed were flat in profile and not curved. What that means in practical aerodynamics is that the aircraft was probably forced into the air by engine power alone and would not have been capable of much further development - due to it having the aerodynamics of a plank.
Further back still, on August 14 1901, Gustave Albin Whitehead took his first flight in Connecticut when he flew his aircraft the 'Number 21' three times, as reported by the Bridgeport Herald, the New York Herald and the Boston Transcript. The longest flight was 2.5km (1.5 miles) at a height of up to 60m (200ft): significantly better than the Wright brothers two years and four months later. Even more impressively, there are witness reports that he flew about 1km (half a mile) as early as 1899. In January 1902 he flew 10km (7 miles) over the Long Island strait in the improved 'Number 22' aeroplane.
What!!! I hear you expostulate ... how can this be true???? Well, it has been suggested by one or two mischievous correspondents (me included) that the reason his flights are unknown is that, firstly, the Wright brothers donated their Wright flyer to the Smithsonian Institute on condition the institute did not recognize an earlier aeroplane and secondly, because of his German origins he was forced to remain silent during the First World War.
Well blow me down - such skulldugerous aeronauts!.
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