The Mastery of the Air

h the nineteenth century two clever engineers, Henson and Stringfellow, built a model aeroplane after the design outlined by Sir George; but though their model was not of muc

the Victoria and Albert Mu

it is said that by its aid he was able to obtain a very short flight through the air. As some recognition of

n, not only believed that flight would come, but also stated why it had not arrived. Thus Emerson, when writing on the subject of air navigation about fifty years ago, remarked: "We think the population is not yet quite fit for them, and therefore there will be none. Our friend suggests so many inconveniences from piracy out of the high

se of time were to make him world-famed. For nearly twenty years Lilienthal carried on his aerial research work in secrecy, and i

ine. It consisted of large wings, formed of thin osiers, over which was stretched light fabric. At the back were two horizontal rudders shaped somewhat like the lon

tower. The "birdman" would stand on the top of the mound, full to the wind, and run quickly forward with outstretched wings. When he thou

e or the other, as occasion required, and, after hundreds of glides had been made, he became so skilful i

responding to the modern biplane. The promising career of this clever German was brought to an untimely end in 1896, when,

iciency of wings, or planes, as carrying surfaces, other engineer

d by Lilienthal, and in time he came to use much larger machines. So cumbersome, however, was his apparatus-it weighed nearly 4 stones-that with such a great weight upon his shoulders he could not run forward quick

imilar accident. While making a flight his glider was ove

-7 Chanute made many flights in various types of gliding machines, some of which had as many as half a dozen planes arranged one abo