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German inventor Otto Lilienthal is considered to be one of the greatest airman of the nineteenth century. Starting in 1891, Lilienthal and his brother Gustav built a series of monoplane and biplane gliders with arched, bat-like wings. Lilienthal's first flights, launched from a springboard in his backyard, took him a few meters into the air. After hundreds of test flights, he was able to leap and soar across the entire plot. Lilienthal was the first to compile aerodynamic coefficients, although much of his data later proved inaccurate.
Lilienthal understood the importance of actual experimental flying to unraveling the mysteries of flight. He gained experience as a glider pilot on nearby hills, performing flights with remarkable control of his craft. In 1894, he even built an artificial fifty-foot tall hill at Gross-Lichterfelde (near Berlin) so that he could launch his gliders with any wind direction. The most experienced flyer in the world at the time, Lilienthal was soon searching for higher launch points and stronger winds. Over a period of five years, he made an estimated 2,000 glide flights and (as later figured by Wilbur Wright) accumulated approximately five hours total time in the air.
Lilienthal perished as a result of a glider crash on August 9, 1896. His final words were, "Opfer müssen gebracht warden" -- "Sacrifices must be made." His work was an inspiration to the Wright Brothers, who would further advance the science of aviation in the following decade.
The Museum's glider was created by the Boeing Model Shop and donated in 1987 for the opening of the Great Gallery.
German inventor Otto Lilienthal is considered to be one of the greatest airman of the nineteenth century. Starting in 1891, Lilienthal and his brother Gustav built a series of monoplane and biplane gliders with arched, bat-like wings. Lilienthal's first flights, launched from a springboard in his backyard, took him a few meters into the air. After hundreds of test flights, he was able to leap and soar across the entire plot. Lilienthal was the first to compile aerodynamic coefficients, although much of his data later proved inaccurate.
Lilienthal understood the importance of actual experimental flying to unraveling the mysteries of flight. He gained experience as a glider pilot on nearby hills, performing flights with remarkable control of his craft. In 1894, he even built an artificial fifty-foot tall hill at Gross-Lichterfelde (near Berlin) so that he could launch his gliders with any wind direction. The most experienced flyer in the world at the time, Lilienthal was soon searching for higher launch points and stronger winds. Over a period of five years, he made an estimated 2,000 glide flights and (as later figured by Wilbur Wright) accumulated approximately five hours total time in the air.
Lilienthal perished as a result of a glider crash on August 9, 1896. His final words were, "Opfer müssen gebracht warden" -- "Sacrifices must be made." His work was an inspiration to the Wright Brothers, who would further advance the science of aviation in the following decade.
The Museum's glider was created by the Boeing Model Shop and donated in 1987 for the opening of the Great Gallery.
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