Aircraft [antikvár]

The Flying MachinesFor thousands of years, people have envied the ability of birds to soar through the air. Taking a lesson from nature, they even tried to copy birds by strapping crude wings to their arms and leaping off hills and high buildings. But none of these efforts ever amounted to much. No matter how hard human beings flapped, they could never stay airborne. They did not realize that human muscles are simply too weak, and their bodies too heavy, to stay aloft.Learning About FlightEarly 'birdmen' simply did not understand the basic principles of flight. They did not know that the reason why birds can fly is that their wings are designed as 'aerofoils' to generate lift as they move forward through the air. Nor did they comprehend that the sculling action of the wingtip feathers provides the thrust which drives birds through the air.Understanding wing shapes led to the first successes with flying machines. In 1894 the Eole (below), a man-carrying steam-powered machine, carried its pilot for a 49-metre hop just 20 cm above the ground.