The glider designs of George Cayley and Otto Lilienthal were a far cry from the technological sophistication of space flight, and 19th-century designs established basic principles still present in the design of the space shuttle. Mechanization, which started with the Wright brothers, powered flight, giving substance to the age-old human dream of manned flight. War and the onset of commercial flight produced massive improvements in aeronautical design and logistical advances. In the modern era, the very concept of flight has taken mankind into space and inspired plans for manned space travel.
The Arc of Progress: Flight and the Evolution of Aeronautical Technology
In 1810, British inventor George Cayley published a paper that ...
