List of 12 Early Flying Machines (2024)

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Today we can fly in many ways using a wide variety of flying machines. In 1961, we managed to reach beyond the sky and venture into space, which was a feat that was far beyond what the men and women who dreamed of flying before that time could have imagined. Our journey towards the sky has been filled with machines like hot air balloons, airships, gliders, and airplanes that paved the way for their modern counterparts. Some were successful, and others were barely functional, but they still made significant contributions to the history of aviation. Below, we take a look at the top twelve early flying machines.

Aerial Screw (Helicopter)

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Towards the end of the fifteenth century, the great Italian Renaissance man, Leonard da Vinci, sketched what would become the modern helicopter. It was something he never tested himself, but his designs heavily influenced what came in fruition in the 1940s (helicopter), since his notes and drawings clearly illustrated how such a screw-like flying machine would function. Similar to modern-day helicopters, the airscrew would compress air to achieve flight. But due to the sheer weight of the construction, scientists now believe the machine, if constructed, would not have been able to fly.

The First Hot Air Balloon

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The Montgolfier brothers (Joseph and Jacques) started experimenting with balloons and parachutes in the mid-18th century in France. They filled silk balloons with hot air, which they called “electric smoke,” and attached them to a wicker basket. The hot air caused the balloons to become lighter than air and rise off the ground, achieving flight. On 4 June 1783, one of their balloons was able to carry a chicken, a duck and a sheep to a height of about 6,000 feet. Although this was an aviation first in France, the balloon was still unmanned, and the first manned hot air balloon took flight in the same year on 21 November in Paris, with Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d’Arlandes on board.

Dumont Personal Airship No. 6

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This airship has the historical significance of being among the aircraft that contributed to bridging the gap between lighter-than-air and heavier-than-air flying machines and is widely regarded as the first airship to truly succeed. It was built in 1901 by the Brazilian aviation pioneer Santos-Dumont and based on his designs. On 19 October 1901, he piloted it from Parc Saint Cloud and flew around the Eiffel tower and back. For this amazing feat, he was awarded the Deutsch de la Meurthe prize and 5,000 francs (half of which he donated to the poor people of Paris).

Degen Ornithopter

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In 1807, a Swiss-Austrian aviation pioneer and inventor by the name of Jacob Degen built the ornithopter, which was a flying machine with wings attached to it. At this time, many were still fascinated by the way birds flew, and they tried to imitate their flying capabilities using machines and muscle movements (swinging and flapping) to achieve flight. Using the flying machine, Degen made the first successful free-float flight. In 1808, he attached a hot-air balloon to his flying machine, and this allowed him to perform free-float flights for hours, and he demonstrated this in November that same year.

Phillips Multiplane

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A series of multiplanes were designed and built by Horatio Phillips, who was a British inventor famous for the advancement of aerodynamics, using his aerofoil designs in the 1880s. In 1893, the first unmanned multiplane was built. It had 50 wing planes and a coal-fired engine but failed to take flight; it was only built to test lifting ability. In 1904, he made a second manned multiplane that had 20 wing planes and managed to reach a height of 50 feet. In 1907, he revisited his 1893 design and added in a petrol engine. This made the multiplane achieve a flight of 500 feet, which was a first in England.

Aerial Steam Carriage

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This flying machine was designed in 1842 by an aviation inventor and engineer named William Samuel Henson and was meant to carry passengers. It is notable for bridging the gap between a glider and powered flight experimentation. It had a monoplane design with 150 feet wings and was powered by a light steam engine that was custom-made for it. A model was built in 1843 but was unable to take flight due to the steam engine being too heavy and weighing it down, managing to make a single hop. A model that was able to travel for a short distance in a hangar was built in 1848, but by 1849, Henson had given up on the Aerial Steam Carriage.

Lilienthal Hang Glider

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Otto Lilienthal, also known as the “Flying Man,” made a bunch of successful glides, mostly using hang gliders he designed himself in monoplane, biplane, and bat-wing forms. His first hang glider was the Derwitzer, which he designed in 1891 and used to perform untethered glides on a regular basis. He was also the first man whose picture was taken while actually flying a heavier-than-air flying machine, leading many people around the world to see the practicality behind flying machines. By the time he died (from a glider accident) in 1896, he had made over 2,000 successful glider flights, which added up to five hours of flight.

1896 Chanute Glider

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This flying machine was a hang glider with a biplane design that was built in 1896 by three American aviation pioneers: Octave Chanute, William Avery, and Augustus Herring. Its design was based on Otto Lilienthal’s prior work on hang gliders. In August and September of 1896, Chanute and Herring went to the Indiana Dunes to test the glider, and they performed hundreds of controlled flights that reached 350 feet and remained airborne for about 10 to 14 seconds. This meant that their hang glider was the most successful glider of that time.

1804 Cayley Glider

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Sir George Cayley was a nineteenth-century British engineer who is widely regarded as “The Father of Aerodynamics.” Although he is responsible for conceptualizing the modern airplane in 1799, he is mostly known for experimenting with gliders that required the use of manpower, since no engine could fit or power his flying machines at that time. In 1804, he designed and built a monoplane glider that was made from bamboo. Since he was able to incorporate the principles of aerodynamics into the design, he was able to fly and control it. This made it the first flying machine to glide over long distances while being controlled, and it was able to sustain flight.

Whitehead No. 21

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The Whitehead No. 21 (dubbed the “Condor”) was a monoplane aircraft that was designed and built in 1901 by Gustave Whitehead after he migrated to America from Germany. It was powered by two engines and looked bird-like, due to its bat-like wings, and had a tail that was triangular and horizontal. Before the Wright brothers’ flights with similar aircraft, Whitehead claimed he had already successfully flown his machine a few times between 1901 and 1902. These claims are contested since he never logged or documented his work, but he claimed to have reached a height of 200 meters and traveled half a mile in his aircraft.

14-bis

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The 14-bis was a biplane aircraft that was also designed and built by Santos-Dumont in 1906 and is famous for making the first powered flight anywhere outside America. It had a box kite-like appearance with wings that consisted of three cells on both sides. The initial tests were supposed to be performed while it was hanging on the gas bags of his airship No. 14. Santos-Dumont made up to nine take-offs on the 14-bis, with the highest flight reaching 722 feet, which won him the Aero Club de France Prize and 1,500 francs, and the longest flight lasting 21 seconds.

Wright Flyer

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This flying machine, also known as the “1903 Flyer” or, simply, “Flyer,” was a biplane aircraft that was built and designed by the Wright brothers (Wilbur and Orville) in 1903. It is considered to be the first of its kind (heavier-than-air flying machine) to succeed and the aircraft that revolutionized the aviation industry. The design was based on the 1902 biplane glider they had been testing at Kitty Hawk. On December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, the brothers tested their aircraft with Orville as the pilot. It managed to fly for 12 seconds and reached a height of 120 feet, but this was later beaten when the aircraft flew for 59 seconds and reached a height of 852 feet with Wilbur as the pilot.

List of 12 Early Flying Machines (2024)

FAQs

Who are the flying machines? ›

a vehicle that sustains itself in and propels itself through the air; an airplane, helicopter, glider, or the like.

What are the flying machines in mythology? ›

Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also mentioned in Jain texts. The Pushpaka vimana flying in the sky.

What was the name of the first flying machine? ›

In 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright, two brothers from Dayton, OH, became the first people to fly a heavier than air, power controlled machine, known as the Wright Flyer.

What were the early failed attempts at flying? ›

Other attempts

In 1496, a man named Seccio broke both arms in Nuremberg while attempting flight. In 1507, John Damian strapped on wings covered with chicken feathers and jumped from the walls of Stirling Castle in Scotland, breaking his thigh; he later blamed it on not using eagle feathers.

How many types of flying machines are there? ›

Common examples of aircraft include airplanes, helicopters, airships (including blimps), gliders, paramotors, and hot air balloons.

What are the different types of fly machines? ›

Fly Machines
  • Pec / Rear Delt Fly (P156 Model) MODEL MS9. Fly Machines.
  • Pec / Rear delt fly combo. MODEL P156. Fly Machines.
  • Vertical pec fly. MODEL P356. Fly Machines.
  • Flat pec fly. MODEL PW156. Fly Machines.
  • Incline pec fly. MODEL PW256. Fly Machines.

What is the greatest flying machine ever built? ›

Antonov An-225

The six-engine, Ukrainian-built An-225, the world's largest airplane, was designed to carry oversized cargo externally and has a maximum payload capacity of 250,000 kg (about 551,000 pounds). The prototype aircraft, which first flew in 1988, was the only one built as of the end of the 20th century.

Who actually flew before the Wright brothers? ›

Many believe that the first flight was actually achieved by someone other than the Wright brothers. Alberto Santos Dumont, Samuel Langley, Clément Ader, Glen Curtiss and Gustave Whitehead top the list of pioneers who aspire to this high distinction.

What was the second flying machine? ›

The Wright Flyer II was the second powered aircraft built by Wilbur and Orville Wright. During 1904 they used it to make a total of 105 flights, ultimately achieving flights lasting five minutes and also making full circles, which was accomplished by Wilbur for the first time on September 20.

What plane is missing in history? ›

1920-1939
DateAircraftPeople missing
December 3, 1934Stella Australis (Airspeed Envoy)3
December 21, 1934Trimotor Hydroplane (Bach 3-CT-6 Air Yacht, NC850E)7
November 8, 1935Lady Southern Cross (Lockheed Altair)2 (Charles Kingsford Smith & John T. Pethybridge)
January 21, 1936Dauphine (CAMS 53-1, F-AJIR)6
28 more rows

What is the flight that disappeared 1960? ›

A plane was scheduled to fly from Burley to Las Vegas when it disappeared, the Idaho State Journal reported on March 14, 1960. The plane was carrying five members of the same family including Wes Stoddard, a 50-year-old 'Alaskan bush pilot,' his wife, Helen, 49, their 28-year-old daughter Mrs.

What is the deadliest event in aviation history? ›

The deadliest aviation accident in history actually occurred while on the ground, not in the air. In 1977, two fully loaded Boeing 747 passenger jets collided in the middle of a runway on Tenerife Island, killing 583 people.

Who is the owner of flying machine clothing brand? ›

We are India's first home bred jeans brand, owned by Arvind mills' garments division. Born in the year 1980, we were considered a cult for the next 10 years. It's really hard to find a fashion conscious male from that time in India who did not wear denims made by us.

Who are the main characters in the flying machine? ›

In the short story The Flying Machine the characters are...
  • The flier (protagonist)
  • Emperor Yuan (antagonist)
  • Emperor's servant.
  • The executioner.
Dec 19, 2014

What did the flying machine do? ›

His ornithopter flying machine was an aircraft that would fly by flapping its wings, a design he created to show how humans could fly. It even had a sophisticated flight control system; however, this design was never built by the designer.

What happened to the flying and the flying machine? ›

The flying machine is torched, the creator is put to death, and everyone who witnessed it is silenced. However, in the final sentence, the emperor laments the loss of the device, whose magnificence he admires but whose danger makes its survival impossible.

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