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Supersonic jets have opened up the World for International travel.
Helicopters the work horses of the offshore oil industry have made confined difficult locations possible with their ability to hover and land vertically. Yet man is only just beginning to break the last frontier, showing that it is possible to fly
History is full of stories about man’s attempts at flight.
The story of Daedalus the father of Greek God Icarus inspired many would be airmen. He was reputed to have flown too close to the sun melting his wings, which were made of wax. Leonardo da Vinci was said to have a passionate interested in flight and produced sketches of flying machines that look remarkably similar to the modern helicopter. King Bladud the father of Shakespeare’s infamous King Leer was one of the first to come to grief, when impatient to take to the sky, decided to launch himself from the top of a tower. Unfortunately the wings which were made with feathers proved far from effective and he was killed. More recently, Clem Sohn shared the same fate when he attempted a similar feat, launching himself from the Eiffel Tower. It was not all disaster, in 1897 Otto Lilienthal quite successfully flew from a high vantage point in Berlin, coming to earth safely after covering 300 yards. His craft was a fore runner of the hang glider, with two canvas wings mounted one above the other.
Victorian flying enthusiast George Caley was one of the modern worlds, serious contenders but soon abandoned the concept of human muscle power flight, turning his attention to powered flight developing the first air ships.
These were early days for flight and there was still much to be discovered. History has proved that man powered flight is far from easy. Despite setbacks enthusiasts have relentlessly pursued new techniques, usually funding projects themselves, improvising, using left over washing machine and cycle parts. Most of the contraptions have been produced on shoe string budgets in garages and garden sheds. As the photographs show man’s desire to fly has been shared by people from all around the globe. Many craft were built using cycle frames. Both Sanderson Chirmabo from Rhodesia Africa and Ernest Winter of London used conventional aircraft type wings with propellers ether pushing or pulling. Clifford Davis from Wakefield England used a cycle as a platform for his unlikely helicopter type craft.
In keeping with the famous visionary Leonardo da Vinci, many experimenters adopted the helicopter approach gaining lift with the aid of revolving blades or wings.
Bob Wilson of Preston is shown demonstrating his unique contribution. Bob’s pedal power is transmitted to a very complex set of wheels the largest of which must be 9 feet in diameter. The pilot sits at the centre of the hub of the main wheel, below the 30 foot diameter revolving blades. The picture shows Wally Smith from Australia demonstrating his craft which closely resembles an Autogyro
Natural evolutionary influence mould all species of life, creatures adapt to their environment. Birds and insects have perfected flight using flapping wings. These unique craft that emulates living species became known as Ornithopters.
The principle still holds many mysteries for man but nature has an uncanny way of following the most energy efficient route. This is why pioneers of manpowered flight like Alan Stewart the Birdman of Lincolnshire have modelled their life long work on this very principle. Italian Umberto Carnevali who obviously shares this view, stands on his craft operating the wings using a device that looks like a scissor type chest expanders. Rods extend down to pedals which appear to be used to introduce additional power to the extended wings. The British Museum in London exhibit part of the fragile remains of Edward Purkis Frost's, 1902 flapping-wing machine that was made of willow, silk and feathers. The wing action of the Frost ornithopter was intended to mimic that of a crow, separating to allow air to pass through on the upstroke, and closing again for the downbeat. In 1781 Karl Fredrich Meerwein an Architect to the Prince of Baden succeeded in flying in an Ornithopter [A flapping winged machine] at Giessen in Germany. Observers reported that the craft was essentially a glider once airborne. This was one of the two main approaches to flying followed for a century and a quarter, the other involved lighter than air craft which were in fact balloons.
View the unique collection of pictures of the pioneers of flight on our gallery page
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