ABSTRACT
The idea of flying by imitating birds has been a dream since the dawn of human intelligence. Various ancient and medieval people who fashioned wings met with disastrous consequences when leaping from towers or roofs and flapping vigorously. The Greek myth of Daedalus and his son Icarus who were imprisoned on the island of Crete and tried to escape by fastening wings with wax and flying through the air is well known. This dream of flight was only achieved in the twentieth century, at approximately 10:35 AM on Tuesday, December 17, 1903, when Orville Wright managed to achieve the first successful flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. That flying machine, the Wright Flyer I, was the first heavier-than-air flyer designed and flown by the Wright brothers: Wilbur (1867–1912) and Orville (1871–1948). The Wright brothers, who were the inventors of the first practical airplane, are certainly the premier aeronautical engineers in history. Comparing the Wright Flyer I with the twenty-first-century aircraft like the Boeing 787 and Airbus 350 underlines the unbelievable miracles that have taken place in the aviation industry. The Wright Flyer I did not even have a fuselage, and either brother had to lie prone on the bottom wing, facing into the cold wind. Nevertheless, such was the flight that marked the first stage in the magnificent evolution of human-controlled powered flight. Several years lapsed before the design of a conventional aircraft included a closed fuselage to which wings and a tail unit were attached and which had an undercarriage or landing gears. Tremendous development in the aviation industry eventually allowed passengers in civil aircraft to enjoy the hot/cold air-conditioned compartments of the fuselage, to have comfortable seats and delicious meals, and to enjoy video movies. However, it was a long time before people could be persuaded to use aircraft as transportation vehicles.
