3 ms·
Actually, previous to the Wright brothers, the dominant theories of flight involved studying how birds flew and theorizing what parts were important and trying
by bluetwo 9y ago
Actually, previous to the Wright brothers, the dominant theories of flight involved studying how birds flew and theorizing what parts were important and trying to replicate them. You could get a degree in this area of study.
I do agree that different approaches are needed.
In the case of flight it was the realization that the airfoil is important and the rest is window dressing.
- jv22222 9y agoAm I right in thinking the study of fish/sharks and fluid dynamics helped with the breakthrough?
- mgraczyk 9y agoNo, it was bicycles that guided the intuition that control should be based on roll rather than rudder yaw. That was the key innovation that the Wrights contributed at the time of their first flight.
- jv22222 9y agoNot sure why the downvote, but this is what I was thinking about: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_dynamics https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_dynamics Nothing to do with origins of flight but interesting and related to why flight works.
- c06n 9y agoActually before the Wright Brothers came a guy called Otto Lilienthal who figured that out. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Lilienthal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Lilienthal