Flight Not Improbable: Octave Chanute and the Worldwide Race Toward Flight

Description

This book is a must-read for all those interested in the evolution of airplanes. Its protagonist, Octave Chanute, is best known for his scientific and collaborative approach to the engineering problems related to the development of flight and for the support he gave to the many aeronautical pioneers, including the Wright Brothers. But, as the author clearly demonstrates, this engineer’s contributions in the aeronautical field have frequently been underestimated, even though almost every famous and not so famous aeronautical enthusiast contacted him and used the readily available drawings of his glider to build and then learn to fly in their own design. Chanute’s biplane glider design, developed and flown first in 1896 in the Indiana Dunes along Lake Michigan, proved to be a key step in the evolution of the flying machine. By freely sharing not only drawings of the general design of this aircraft but also the lessons learned, the biplane became the starting point or prototype for many experimenters and can be considered the foundation for the modern airplane. This book focuses on Chanute’s work in aeronautics. Not having the internet of today, he became the “post-box of early aeronautics,” not only because of his landmark book “Progress in Flying Machines” but also because of his strong connections to anyone and everyone who worked in the aeronautical field. He made a point of continuing to learn throughout his own life, and strongly believed in sharing knowledge, while fostering and mentoring all those who were willing to learn.   Foreword Preface Acknowledgements People Who Helped with this Book Contents 1 How It All Began 2 Flight Is Not Improbable 2.1 Aëronautics in Illinois 2.2 The Power of Nature 2.3 A New Branch of Scientific Inquiry Was Born—The 1886 Buffalo Meeting 2.4 Air Machines to Come—The Beginning 2.5 The 1889 International Aeronautical Congress in Paris 2.6 The Student of Bird Flight from Egypt 2.7 Looking, Learning and Communicating 2.8 An Undergraduate Student Discovers Aeronautics 2.9 The International Conference on Aerial Navigation in Chicago, 1893 2.10 A Landmark Publication—Progress in Flying Machines 2.11 An Experimenter from Eastern Tennessee 2.12 The College Inventor from California 2.13 The Pioneer from Down Under 2.14 The Aeronaut from Scotland 2.15 Hiring a Helping Hand 2.16 Shall We Ever Fly? Why? Yes, of Course! 3 Theory—Investigating—Practical Flying 3.1 The “Flying Man” from Berlin 3.2 Journalism off its Feet! 3.3 The Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 3.4 The Civil Engineer Takes the Next Step 3.5 Steal the Bird’s Art 3.6 From Researching to Flying—The Katydid Multiplane Glider 3.7 From Triplane to Biplane Glider 3.8 William Paul Butusov and His Albatross 3.9 Newspaper Coverage in 1896—Blending Fact with Fiction 3.10 Summing Up the Flying Activity of 1896 3.11 The Mystery Winged Ship of 1896/7 3.12 The United States Signal Corps Shows Interest in Aeronautics 3.13 New Year with New Ideas—Glider Flying in 1897 3.14 How It Feels to Fly: Reporter Tries an Aerocurve 3.15 Elegant Engineering: The Chanute-Type Biplane Glider 3.16 Flying Flivver Is Assured 4 Collaboration for Progress in Flying Machines 4.1 The Boston Aeronautical Society 4.2 Herring—Back to Chanute—Back Alone Again 4.3 Chanute’s Trip to Europe in 1899 4.4 The Busy World of Aeronauts in Central Europe 4.5 Two Brothers from Ohio Enter the Scene 4.6 Western Society of Engineers Presidency in 1901 4.7 An Early Aerodynamic Researcher 4.8 The Unwelcome Assistant 4.9 More Knowledge on Air Resistance is Needed 4.10 Changes and Progress in 1902 4.11 We Will Surely Navigate the Air! 5 Two Eventful Years of Intertwined Development 5.1 Pas À Pas, Saut À Saut, Vol À Vol—from Step to Jump to Flight 5.2 Spreading the Word as the Goodwill Ambassador 5.3 The Busy World—Aeronauts Soar on Silken Wings 5.4 The Smithsonian Pushes Ahead 5.5 The Airplane is Borne … The Wrights Did It! 5.6 The Wright’s Flight: Truth or Myth? 5.7 American Association for the Advancement of Science in St. Louis 5.8 The St. Louis Aerial Sweepstakes and the 1904 Chanute Glider 5.9 We Shall Yet Fly! 6 The Persistent Experiments to “Wing the Air” 6.1 Aviation Lures Youth 6.2 The Brothers from Dayton Push Ahead 6.2.1 Contacting the American Government 6.2.2 Contacting the British Government 6.2.3 Contacting the French 6.2.4 Contacting the German Military 6.2.5 Initial Struggle for Recognition 6.3 Aeronauts Organize 6.4 Have a Fly with Me! The First Aero Club Exhibit 6.5 Reality of the Airship 6.6 Combining Technical Knowledge with Inventiveness 6.7 From Kite to Glider to Powered Flight. The AEA Gets into the Air! 6.8 Spreading the Word 6.9 The Jamestown Exposition and Its Aeronautical Congress 6.10 America’s Native Pride Aroused by Foreign Competitors 7 Internationalism, Idealism and Materialism 7.1 Henry Farman and his Record Aeroplane Flight 7.2 The U.S. Government Steps into the Air Age 7.3 A Little Practice is Needed to Aviate 7.4 Aero Club of America on the Defensive 7.5 The Aerial Experiment Association and the Scientific American Trophy 7.6 A Whole Lot of Babbling Going on 7.7 Wilbur Wright Flies in France 7.8 Activity at Fort Myer: Dirigible Up—Baldwin Away 7.9 Activity at Fort Myer: Orville Wright Next to Fly 7.10 Activity at Fort Myer: Aviator Augustus M. Herring 7.11 Human Birds to Try Flight at Morris Park 7.12 Aerophobia: Flying Men Here and There and Everywhere 7.13 The Aeronautical Exhibition in Paris, France 7.14 In Some Ways 1908 Was a Perfectly Good Year … 8 New People, New Designs, New Ideas, New Problems 8.1 Mathematical and Otherwise—Soaring Flight. How to Perform It 8.2 Should the Government Sponsor Aeronautical Work? 8.3 Starting an Airplane Business 8.4 Summarizing Recent Progress in Aviation 8.5 The Monoplane Enters the Aviation Scene 8.6 Trying Again: Activity at Fort Myer 8.7 A Trigger for Aviation Enthusiasm 8.8 The War of the Aviators and Chanute’s Involvement 8.9 The Intertwined Story of Ailerons and Wing Warping 8.10 More Challengers for the Wrights 8.11 Differing Philosophies 8.12 A Good Friendship Sours … 9 When Will We All Fly? 9.1 Before Becoming a “Bird-Man” You Must Learn Gliders 9.2 Medals for the Wrights 9.3 The World’s Inventive Genius Centers on Propulsion 9.4 Academics Approach to the Airplane Dream 9.5 New Books to Aspire Aviators 9.6 Chanute’s Last Trip to Europe 9.7 A Life of Achievements Comes to an End 10 Some Final Words … 10.1 Remembering Chanute 10.2 Acknowledging Chanute’s Pivotal Role in Aviation 10.3 The National Aeronautical Research Laboratory 10.4 Forming the National Advisory Committee of Aeronautics and the Manufacturers Aircraft Association 10.5 In Closing … Notes References Index