Interesting fact

Although engineer and machine builder Otto Lilienthal registered 23 patents, only 4 of them had anything to do with flying.


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Otto Lilienthal's book "Bird Flight as the Basis for Aviation" was published on 5 December 1889 in Berlin. This book was the first scientific study of flying and examined the subject from the perspective of aerodynamics. Lilienthal discovered that, by using the headwind, rigid wings can generate enough lift to raise even heavy objects off the ground. Another important discovery lay in his observation of the shape of the wing and its importance for lift. He wrote, "The real secret of bird flight lies in the curvature of the bird's wings."

The 15-metre glide

After making these discoveries, Lilienthal focused his flight tests on gliding. He built the world's first successful manned aircraft, which consisted of a pair of wings made of willow canes and a ten square-metre wing made of cotton fabric. Using this apparatus, he leaped off hills and let the air support his weight. Near Potsdam, in north-eastern Germany, lies the small town of Derwitz. This is where, in 1891, Lilienthal fulfilled the age-old dream of flying by gliding a distance of 15 metres.

In subsequent years, he continued to improve his flying machines and increased their flying distance to as much as 250 metres. Then, on Sunday, 9 August 1896, he had a terrible accident. During one of his flight tests from Gollenberg Mountain near Stoelln, a strong gust of wind seized Otto Lilienthal and flung him to the ground. The courageous researcher died from the serious injuries he sustained.

Thanks to his research and experiments, Lilienthal was one of the key pioneers in both unpowered and powered flight. Other aviation pioneers all over the world benefitted from his discoveries. The Wright Brothers, for example, studied the work of Lilienthal and in 1903 they were the first to achieve powered flight, launching the age of modern aviation.




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Interesting fact

The 15-metre glide

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