Sir George Cayley set in motion the future study of aerodynamics in a single sentence. "The whole problem is confined within these limits, namely to make a surface support a given weight by the application of power to the resistance of air."

Sir George Cayley experimented with gliders at his home in Yorkshire. He was the first to discover how wings work. Cayley discovered that wings are lifted on the air. He also constructed the first aircraft that was heavier than air. He is now recognized as the father of aviation. He came up with many principles of heavier-than-air flight. Explore these principles of flight below. Use the "Back" button or "Go" menu on your browser to come back to our site.

What makes an airplane fly?

In 1896, the German engineer, Otto Lilienthal, tested several monoplane and biplane gliders. He built and flew the first glider capable of carrying a person, but died when he crashed in a sudden gust of wind before he could finish his powered plane.

The structure of an airplane as we know it today was in its formative years. What are the parts of a plane and how does each function?

The Parts of an Airplane

What are airfoils and how do they work?

How airfoils work

Now try some experiments on your own.

Airfoil Experiments

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Contents

1900 AD