When we look back to the dawn of aviation, we can trace these sweeping changes back to a few pioneers. When we think of the “fathers of flight,” we immediately picture the Wright Brothers. But they weren’t the first to bear that title.
Otto Lilienthal was. Although he never successfully flew a powered plane, he was the first to build and fly winged aircraft. His gliders are the ancestors of today’s airplanes and gliders. And his research on the flight mechanics of birds forms the basis of modern wing design.
The Wright brothers named Lilienthal as their inspiration. Photographs of his gliding experiments were reproduced and published all over the world. Newspapers and magazines published photographs of Lilienthal gliding, favorably influencing public and scientific opinion about the possibility of flying machines becoming practical. On August 9, 1896, his glider stalled and he was unable to regain control. Falling from about 15 m (50 ft), he broke his neck and died the next day, 10 August, 1896.
Otto Lilienthal’s Early Life and Experiments with Flight
Like many who were drawn to flight in the early days, Otto’s passion for flight began as a child. Born in 1848, he was spellbound by the tales of Count Zambeccay. The count was an aeronaut, and his ballooning adventures made a lasting impression on Otto and his brother Gustav. Together, they dreamed of flying. They were also inspired by an animal fable. In the story, a stork tells a wren how he is able to fly so far without getting tired. The brothers were captivated by the detailed description of gliding. They realized that the same principles could be applied to a manned craft.
Many mothers would shudder at the thought of their sons trying to fly with homemade contraptions, but their mother was surprisingly supportive of their enthusiasm. She realized they had a driving passion, and would probably do it anyway. As long as they ran their plans by her, and took the right precautions, she was happy to give them her blessing. Their uncle was less supportive. He thought their ideas were crazy at best, and treated them to his dire predictions and ominous warnings. Undeterred, the boys continued with their plans.
Their early results were far from successful. While still at school, they built a pair of wooden wings which strapped on to their arms. They planned to fly by jumping from a hill and flapping their arms like birds. Of course, they didn’t want to be seen by their school friends, so they conducted their experiments in the still of the night.
Their second attempt was based on a similar concept. This time, they added a great many feathers to the wings. Having learned that it’s not a good idea to jump from a height with an unproven flying machine, they carried out their early experiments in the attic of their family home.
Once again, the experiments were a failure. But they didn’t give up. Over the next few years, they built a couple of models. The first prototype was spring powered, and could fly across 2 rooms by flapping its wings.
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| Lilienthal before takeoff with first glider, near the small village of Derwitz, outside of Potsdam, Germany, 1891. |
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| Lilienthal after takeoff with first glider, 1891. |
Otto Lilienthal the Inventor and Engineer
Their experiments were interrupted by the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war. Otto volunteered to serve his country and took part in the siege of Paris. He was later remembered by his old war chums as an eccentric with a dream that one day men would fly.
The next model he created was steam powered, with a tubular engine of Otto’s own design. It turned out to be too powerful for the small model, breaking the wings. It was a success for the motor, but a failure for the aircraft.
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| Lilienthal's second glider, 1892. |
Otto became an engineer, and Gustav trained as an architect. Both of them were very busy, but they kept talking about ideas for flight. Otto gained a position with a mining company, but the long office hours meant he had little time for aviation
He realized that he could buy the time he needed with a successful invention. So he invented a machine to help miners move coal rapidly from the mines. Unfortunately, the coal market was in a slump at the time. The invention was useful, but few mines could afford to buy it. And so Otto returned to the drawing board.
It’s around this time that he met Agnes Fischer, during a trip to Saxony. They were drawn together by a mutual love of music. Otto played the French horn, and she played the piano. They married in 1878, and would have 4 children together.
Down on his luck, Gustav moved into their house. The brothers worked on another invention, a brick toy for children called the “anchor.” Although it proved popular with the children who played with it, it was a commercial failure. Gustav was unable to make ends meet as an architect in Prussia, so he emigrated to Australia.
Otto’s next invention was based on the tubular steam engine he had created for his flying model. This invention was a success. It was a considerable improvement over existing steam engines, delivering more power and operating more safely. Otto was soon able to retire on the income from his tubular engine.
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| Lilienthal before takeoff with small wing-flapping glider, ca. 1894. |
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| Lilienthal at takeoff with small wing-flapping glider, ca. 1894. |
