The pioneer era of aviation refers to the period of aviation history between the first successful powered flight, generally accepted to have been made by the Wright Brothers on 17 December 1903, and the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914.
Once the principles of powered controlled flight had been established there was a period in which many different aircraft configurations were experimented with. By 1914 the tractor configuration biplane had become the most popular form of aircraft design, and would remain so until the end of the 1920s.
During this period aviation passed from being seen as the preserve of eccentric enthusiasts to being an established technology, with the establishment of specialist aeronautical engineering research establishments and university courses and the creation of major industrial aircraft manufacturing businesses, and aviation became a subject of enormous popular interest.
Once the principles of powered controlled flight had been established there was a period in which many different aircraft configurations were experimented with. By 1914 the tractor configuration biplane had become the most popular form of aircraft design, and would remain so until the end of the 1920s.
During this period aviation passed from being seen as the preserve of eccentric enthusiasts to being an established technology, with the establishment of specialist aeronautical engineering research establishments and university courses and the creation of major industrial aircraft manufacturing businesses, and aviation became a subject of enormous popular interest.
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| Philips Multiplane 1904 |
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| Philips Multiplane 1907 |
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| D'Equevillay 1908 |
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| Belin |
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| Bell Cygnet 1907 |
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| Jourdan 1911 |
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| Kauffmann No. 1 1910 |
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| Moisant 1909 |
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| Moisant 1909 |
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| Paulhan 1911 |
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| Robart 1908 |
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| Da Silva 1909 |
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| Sloan 1910 |
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| Stoeckel 1909 |
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| Taddeoli at Berne |
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| De La Vaux |
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| Witzig-Liore-Dutilleul |
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| Mr Attwood taking off, ca. 1910-1915 |
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| The Willoughby Hydro-aeroplane. Pelican, ca. 1910-1915. |
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| Percy Pilcher Beetle |
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| Albessard |
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| Autostable |
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| Bertrand U1 |
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| Bonnet Labrache |
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| Dorand 1908 |
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| Gilbert |
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| Givaudan 1909 |
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| Kluytmants No. 18, ca. 1909 |
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| Paulhan 1911 |
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| De Puiseux When bicycling and gliding collide. |
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| Robart 1908 |
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| Roux Vosgiens 1909 |
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| Sanchez Besa 1912 |
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| Schreck Diapason |
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| Sylphe 1911 |
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| Vaniman |
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| Vedovelli 1911 |
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| Jourdan 1911 |
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| Santos-Dumont in 14bis |
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| Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Wilbur Wright and glider just after landing, 1901. |
Just lovely mix of early aircraft (mostly unknown today, and probably very few of them flew), and aircraft with both conventional tails and canards, something Boeing engineers recommended some years back!
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