The History of Gliders
Throughout their history, gliders have fascinated people who wished they could fly or to see things from a bird's perspective. They have been used by the military, civilians, scientists and lots of people who want to take to the air or see things from above.
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Origin
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The glider originated in China in 500 B.C. A contemporary of Confucius, named Lu Pan, built the first glider, but it was more of a toy and was not meant for manned flight.
Da Vinci
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Artist, musician, scientist and engineer Leonardo Da Vinci was fascinated with flight. In 1486, he began designing gliders that resembled the modern helicopter and the ornithopter. He also made designs for a parachute.
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Contributors
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Percy Pilcher worked on wing design for gliders. Otto Lilienthal built the first truly successful glider and later developed a two-wing glider. Octave Chanute, a civil engineer, worked on designs to try to eliminate movement in the aircraft's body. The Wright brothers used gliders in their work to achieve sustained, controlled, manned, powered and fixed-wing flight.
Flight
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In 1853, George Cayley sent his driver on the first flight of Cayley's glider in England. His aircraft was dubbed the coachman's carrier and was considered a true glider.
Military
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After World War I, many countries began using gliders for military reconnaissance. Prisoners of war at the end of World War II at Colditz Castle in Colditz, Germany, secretly built a glider in hopes of using it to escape.
Leisure
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Today most gliders are made to serve as toys for children and adults. These gliders come in the form of hang gliders, parasails, and glider planes.
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References
- Photo Credit glider image by Goran Bogicevic from Fotolia.com
