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  • The Aerodrome: Samuel Pierpont Langley

    In 1896 Samuel Pierpont Langley, astronomer and secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, flew an unmanned steam-driven airplane model three-fourths of a mile. In 1898 he received a Congressional grant of $51,000 for further development of an airplane capable of carrying a person. Langley and his

  • Progress in Flying Machines: Octave Chanute

    Octave Chanute was already a well-known engineer when he began studying the problem of flight. His classic 1894 volume Progress in Flying Machines brought together in one book a history of humankind's attempts to fly. Chanute also applied his knowledge of bridge building to the design of gliders.

  • Gliding Pioneer: Otto Lilienthal

    Otto Lilienthal remains the most famous of the glider experimenters. He built his first glider in 1891, and within the next five years, this brilliant German made more than 2,000 glides. His experiments were publicized throughout the world, providing inspiration to others, including the Wright

  • Inventor of the Science of Flight: Sir George Cayley

    Born in 1773, Sir George Cayley essentially created the science of flight. Using scientific methods and keeping careful and detailed notes, Cayley became the first to identify the basic problems of heavier-than-air flight, the first to carry out basic aerodynamic research, and the first to discover

  • Lighter-than-Air Flight

    Lighter-than-air flight was the first method used to take to the skies. Air that is less dense (or "lighter") rises. Heating the air inside of an envelope (or balloon) makes the heated air less dense, thereby causing it to rise. Another method is to fill the envelope with low-density (or "light")

  • Wright R-1820 Cyclone

    The Wright Aeronautical Corp. introduced the 9-cylinder, air-cooled, R-1820 radial engine in 1931. Developed from earlier "Cyclone" engines of the late 1920s, the larger and more powerful R-1820 produced 575 hp; however, engineers dramatically improved its performance over many years of production,

  • Wright R-790

    The 225-hp R-790 was a standard U.S. Air Corps radial engine used in several types of airplanes during the 1920s and 1930s. Some significant long-distance flights during that era featured R-790s. The engine on display at the museum is one of three Wright R-790s that powered to Fokker trimotor Bird

  • Oberursel UR-2 Rotary

    The Oberursel UR-2 rotary engine, rated at 110 hp, was the type used to power the Fokker Dr.1 triplane. Built by the Oberursel Motoren Gesellschaft of Frankfurt, Germany, it was an exact copy of the famous French LeRhone 110-hp rotary engine.The UR-2 from Baron Manfred von Richthofen's airplane is

  • Curtiss V2-3

    In 1916 and 1917 Curtiss produced R-3 and R-4 airplanes for the U.S. Army Signal Corps, some of which the 1st Aero Squadron used during the Mexican Punitive Expedition. The Curtiss V2-3 engine, rated at 200 hp, powered both those airplanes; however, it had a poor power to weight ratio -- almost four

  • Curtiss OX-5

    Thousands of OX-5 water-cooled engines were produced in the United States during World War I, primarily for the Curtiss Jenny airplane. The engine, a refinement of a 1914 design, was rated at only 90 hp. Compared to other airplane engines of the period, it was very reliable. Some OX-5 engines are