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1903 - First aeroplane flight
The Wright Brothers are normally credited with the first
powered flight, but a Sheffielder may have a prior claim.
This was John Stringfellow, born in 1799 in Attercliffe,
Sheffield. As an adult he developed amazing skill at making
steam engines, and went on to design his own aircraft.
In 1848 he tested his aeroplane.
He launched the aircraft by allowing it to run for ten yards
down a wire. This ensured that the machine started flying
in exactly the right direction, and at a reasonable speed.
According to his son Fred's eyewitness account, the first
flight was a bit of a disaster. But a later flight was a spectacular
success; the plane flying for more than 10 yards!
Stringfellows
Aircraft
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