Gleiter

Lilienthal Hängegleiter, Nr. 15, von Otto Lilienthal

Dating

1972, Vorbild: 1895 - 1896

Persons

Otto Lilienthal (1848 - 1896), Erfinder/in Vorbild

Description

Modell des Lilienthal Hängegleiters, Nr. 15, Doppeldecker von 20,5 qm Tragfläche, gebaut Winter 1895/96.

Object type

Object (three-dimensional)

Geography

Territorium: Deutschland

Material / Technique

Holz, Metall, Plastik, Papier

Dimensions

55.5 x 65.5 x 28.5 cm

Inventory number

VHS-4115

Legend

Following the example of birds Otto Lilienthal was an engineer and manufacturer. Together with his brother Gustav he discovered the suitability of curved surfaces for flying based on the example of birds and summarised these discoveries in their book “Bird flight as the Basis of Aviation”. In the years between 1891 and 1896 they carried out flying experiments with monoplanes and biplanes and made over 2000 gliding flights, more than all the aviation pioneers before them. In the middle of this work, just before motorising on of his aircraft, Otto Lilienthal crashed on 9 August 1896, suffering fatal injuries. Lilienthal’s work had a great influence on the subsequent experiments by Octave Chanute and Percy Pilcher as well as on the successes of the Wright brothers.