|
Description:
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Just a handful of people are still among us who were alive before the first powered airplane flight. Yet the fact that aviation -- from its birth with the Wright Brothers' Flyer to the era of manned space flight -- developed within the span of a lifetime is perhaps the most impressive achievement of humankind. Today, it is difficult for us to imagine ourselves living in a time when hundreds of would-be aviators toiled for years to create flying machines that then failed to fly, or who bravely leaped from tall buildings while flapping homemade wings. Airplanes have filled many roles, including agricultural workhorse, thoroughbred racer, war machine, fire fighter, entertainer, and people carrier. Over the years, they have become a part of our daily lives. Aviation: the first 100 Years takes a broad and entertaining look at the development of the airplane, presenting themed chapters that cover the personal and technical endeavors of those who created and manned each era's aeronautical wonders. The lively text, written by one of the world's foremost authorities on aviation, is lavishly complemented by over 650 photographs.
Shrugging off delays caused by the previous night's hurricane-force winds as they blew in from the North Atlantic, Orville and Wilbur Wright prepared for another attempt to fly. On the bleak sands of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on the morning of December 17, 1903, their airplane, Flyer, left the ground. It flew for a historic 12 seconds, staying aloft for a distance of more than 120 feet. The Wright Brothers made longer flights immediately afterward, but it was that first sustained flight that changed the world. Throughout the following 100 years, aviators flew longer, faster, and higher -- finally breaching outer space. All too often a fearsome war machine, the airplane has also done more to bring people together than almost any other human invention. In this fascinating account spanning 100 years of development, Bill Gunston -- a leading authority on aviation -- reveals the highs and lows of flying, the development of aerial navigation and safety, and the emergence of international airports. Over 650 photographs illustrate what is probably the most impressive achievement of humankind.
|
