To prove this I give you the following line of logic:
- If A = B and B = C then A = C
- If necessity (A) is (B) the mother of invention and
- An airplane (C) is (B) an invention
- Then necessity is the mother of an airplane
The Brazilians say it was Alberto Santos-Dumont and his 14-bis on October 23, 1906 in France.
But we in the US know it was one of the Wright Brothers on December 17, 1903 at Kitty Hawk with the Wright Flyer I.
I will concede that Santos-Dumont was the first person to get a heavier than air craft to fly by using wheels and an under carriage, and to get it to lift off the ground under its own power and not by the push of a catapult like the Wrights used. However, his plane was uncontrollable in the air and the Wrights invented the system of three axis control necessary to make controlled flight of heavier than air craft possible, and they did get their version of the manned flying machine into the air almost three years before Santos-Dumont.
There will always be disputes about who was first.
See the list at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_flying_machines
Brazilians are so passionate about this topic. I remember a Gen Conf talk by Pres. Uchtdorf in which he mentioned the Wright Bros as the inventors of the airplane; it was the only time in my life I did not say "Amem" at the end of a Gen Conf talk. I couldn't do it for I did not agree. Lol.. funny, but true.
ReplyDeleteTiago, let not our testimony hang on something as insignificant as which came first the chicken or the egg. We fly now because of men like Santo-Dumont and the Wright Brothers. Celebrate them both is my motto. Good to hear from you. Te Amomous.
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