A Museum Tour Through Aviation History

Early Flight (Gallery 107)

Before the Wright Brothers' first powered flight in 1903, a German pioneer was experimenting with gliders; and in the decade after the Wright Brothers, there was an explosion of others ready to capitalize on this new flying machine. Some of the most notable of these early aircraft and their builders are showcased in the "Early Flight" gallery.

Lilienthal Glider
(1894)

In the 1890's, the German aeronautical pioneer Otto Lilienthal experimented with a series of gliders that were remarkably similar to the hang-gliders of today. Lilienthal hung between the wings of his glider by a bar that passed under his arms and maneuvered the craft by shifting his weight. The Lilienthal Glider on display in the Museum is from 1894, and was considered by Lilienthal to be the safest and most successful of his various designs. In this glider, he made glides of up to 1,150 feet. Tragically, Lilienthal was killed in the crash of a glider similar to this one.

Wright Military Flyer
(1909)

In December 1907, the U.S. Army's Signal Corps issued a solicitation for a heavier-than-air craft for military reconnaisance purposes. After a series of competiting flight demonstrations, including a September 1908 crash of an earlier model that killed Army observer-passenger Lt. Thomas Selfridge, the new Wright Military Flyer was chosen by the Army in July 1909 to become the world's first military aircraft. Among the new military pilots trained by the Wright Brothers to fly the Military Flyer was Lt. H. "Hap" Arnold, who would later become the Chief of the Army Air Corps.

Bleriot Type XI
(1909)

Across the Atlantic, in France, Louis Bleriot was experimenting with no less than 10 different airplane designs. His eleventh design, the Bleriot Type XI was a winner. On July 25, 1909, Bleriot flew his Type XI from Calais, France to Dover, England in 36 minutes, 30 seconds thus becoming the first person to fly across the English Channel. In 1912, America's first licensed female pilot, Harriet Quimby, herself became the first woman to fly across the English Channel, also in a Bleriot Type XI. The Museum's Bleriot was owned by Swiss pilot John Domenjoz, who, in April 1915 executed 40 consecutive loops in 28 minutes in the skies over Buenos Aires, Argentina. Later that year he flew to New York and made headlines by flying a series of loops over the Statue of Liberty.

Curtiss Model D "Headless Pusher"
(1910)

Perhaps the most ardent rival of the Wright Brothers in the early days of flight was American Glenn Curtiss. By 1910, he had formed a formal flight exhibition team that used the maneuverable and sturdy Curtiss Model D "Headless Pusher,". Unlike other airplanes of the time, the Curtiss Model D used bamboo for the struts that attached the tail to the main wing structure. Bamboo was very strong for its weight because of its hollow core and hardened rings at even intervals along its length. The first aircraft purchased by the U.S. Navy was a variation of the Model D called the Curtiss Model E Hydro, which had a central float and two outrigger floats instead of the wheeled undercarriage of the Model D.

Ecker Flying Boat
(1912)

Herman Ecker was a young aviation enthusiast in Syracuse, New York who was inspired by the early aviation pioneers to construct his own airplanes. The Ecker Flying Boat was built aroung 1912 (or early 1913) and is one of the oldest flying boats still in existence. Using whatever makeshift materials and components he could find, Ecker converted a marine engine for aeronautical use and added auto radiators for cooling. The Ecker Flying Boat's flight history is largely unknown, but it is known that he flew in the area around Syracuse, carrying passengers and performing at local fairs. The Flying Boat also made an appearance at the 1930 New York State Fair. In the museum photo above, the Ecker Flying Boat is in the background above the brown monoplane.

Within a decade of the invention of the airplane, this new machine became an important weapon of war. As tensions in Europe escalated into World War I, a new breed of "soldier" was born, the air fighter ace. Join us on the next stop of our tour, The Great War in the Air gallery.

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Last Updated: January 1, 2003