Many men got injured in their quest to take flight. One among them was Eilmer, who fixed wings to his hands and feet, and tried to take flight from a tower of Malmesbury Abbey in the 11th century.
He broke his legs and was seriously injured after the attempt. It is said that many imaginary flying objects and machines were sketched by the famous artist Leonardo da Vinci.
The brothers Joseph-Michael and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier, prosperous paper manufacturers, began experimenting with lighter-than-air devices after observing that heated air directed into a paper or fabric bag made the bag rise. In 1783, the brothers Etienne and Joseph Montgolfier demonstrated the first hot-air balloon. It flew about 2.5 km, before crashing and bursting into flames.
Since 1899, Wilbur and Orville Wright had been scientifically experimenting with the concepts of flight. They made four flights on 17th December 1903, on their first powered aircraft, at Kitty Hawk.
The longest lasted just under a minute and covered 259.6 m. Thus the first flight changed the history of mankind. Wright Brothers’ aeroplane was crude. Later, many changes were introduced in aeroplanes.
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