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War > Aviation History > History of Flight History of Flight CD

Are you interested in the early history of flight? Are you keen to learn about the tireless efforts of the Wright brothers who spent years perfecting their knowledge, skills and aircraft before the first powered flight? This CD is for all those whose answer is YES! Grab this historic CD, which provides a fascinating insight into the lives and times of the Wright brothers and the brief reign of gigantic airships when they were a part of the U.S. navy.

Man's desire to fly was probably inspired by his observation of birds and propelled by his insatiable desire for adventure. Greek mythology is filled with stories of men taking to the skies. The accounts of Bellerophon riding the winged horse Pegasus, the father and son duo of Icarus and Daedalus escaping from prison on wings of feathers and wax and the great Emperor Alexander dreaming of harnessing Griffins to a basket so that he could fly over his vast kingdom are well known.

Long after these myths were written, man's efforts at flying continued. The successful balloon flight by the Montgolfier brothers in 1783 was the light at the end of a long dark tunnel and proved that man could fly. A little later, George Cayley designed several versions of a glider, but more importantly discovered the need of power for sustaining flights.

In 1891 Otto Lilienthal, a German engineer became the first person to design and build a glider that could fly a person and was able to fly long distances. Later the Wright brothers studied his writings and used his recommendations for designing their planes. In the same year, an astronomer-turned flight enthusiast Samuel P. Langley built a model of a plane, which flew for 3/4s of a mile before running out of fuel.

Finally in 1903 Orville and Wilbur Wright got it right after years of research. The "Flyer" lifted from level ground to the North of Big Kill Devil Hill, at 10:35 a.m., on December 17, 1903, and man's conquest of the skies had begun!

This CD contains photographic records of two historical periods - the days and months leading up to the Wright Brothers' first successful powered flight and a decade, during which the U.S. Navy built a formidable range of aircraft - mostly fighters to protect its ships. In the first part of the CD you will witness photographs of the Wright brothers, their family and friends, their social life and also those of Kitty Hawk. The several gliders the brothers built and tested are also seen.

The second part of the CD has some fascinating images of airships that the navy used in the 30s, before a spate of accidents and the difficulty in handling the gigantic ships forced the navy to abandon them. The pictures of early fighters used by the navy are shown in great detail along with those of famous aircraft carriers like the USS Enterprise and the USS Saratoga.

Sample thumbnails taken from the collection. Click on image to view larger picture.

EDITORIAL REVIEW:

No frontier challenged man's skills and abilities as much as flight. Centuries of dreaming, planning and building finally ended at Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903 when the Wright brothers succeeded at sustaining powered flight long enough to claim the honor of being the first.

This CD provides a valuable insight into the lives of the two brothers as they studied, planned, built and flew a series of gliders before designing the Flier. A series of fabulous photographs of Kitty Hawk and the surrounding countryside provide a scenic view of the town whose name has become synonymous with the history of flight. Portraits of family, friends and associates at various social functions speak of strong family and social ties the brothers enjoyed.

Their love for nature and adventure is also witnessed in the fascinating shots of a storm and the town lazing under a blanket of snow. Graphic images of the workshop where the historic Flier took shape and shots of the Flier being built are rare and invaluable in terms of their historical content.

The Wright brothers' never-say-die attitude is exemplified by the many photographs you will witness of a series of gliders they built and tested in a systematic and progressive manner. The climax, however, are the pictures of the historic moments when the Flier took to the air.

The second part of this outstanding CD takes you on a delightful tour of the U.S. Navy's hangers and showcases the history of aircraft used by the navy from the early 30s to the mid 40s. The coverage of airships, USS Akron, USS Macon, USS Los Angeles and USS Shenandoah, used by the Navy in the 30s is truly amazing. You can witness how these monstrous lighter-than-air craft were designed, constructed and flown. You can also witness the disastrous end of USS Shenandoah as it crashed and was damaged beyond repair and recognition.

The series of fighter aircraft that gave America air-superiority during World War II are shown in great detail. Fabulous close ups of Grumman XF 3Fs, Curtiss F9C-2s, F4F Wildcats and TDB Torpedo carriers give you a good 'feel' of what it was like to be in the cockpit of these amazing flying machines. The panoramic view of SNJ and other trainer aircraft lined up on the tarmac speaks of the seriousness with which the Navy approached its training programs for pilots. The shots of aircraft landing on aircraft carriers are thrilling and call to mind the courage and skills of the pilots.

This CD is truly exhaustive in its contents and the crystal-clear photographs leave little to imagination. It definitely holds promise of several hours of delightful examination of one of man's most cherished accomplishments. I am yet to see a record as complete and as delightful as this one on the history of flight and recommend it, without hesitation, to anybody who claims to have even a fleeting interest in the subject.

CUSTOMER'S REVIEWS:

"Viewing this CD was like sitting in a time machine and watching the flying machines evolve from slow, flimsy gliders that were at the mercy of elements to the sturdy powerful fighters used by the Navy. The pictures have been selected with great care and are amazing in their detail and substance. I was particularly fascinated by the images of airships. Their size was truly mind-boggling and I fail to understand the purpose for which the navy built these slow moving giants. The pictures of early fighter planes too are fascinating and I thoroughly enjoyed studying each one in the superb close-ups found on this CD. All in all this is a fantastic collection of truly historic photographs and is certain to amaze anybody who takes time off to examine this CD."

Customer's Name: Jeff Peterson (Lakeside, Arizona)

"I spent a delightful afternoon in examining the presentation on this lovely CD. Long before I had finished viewing the last photograph, I was convinced that I was witnessing a rare record of the history of flight. The perceptive manner in which photographs related to the actual event (the first powered flight) are included in this CD speaks volumes of its professional production. The rare sight of the Graf Zeppelin being readied for its voyage and the photographs many airships, which served the U.S. Navy, are worth a fortune. I owe a debt to the chaps who certainly have done a splendid job in bringing together so many historic snapshots in a single CD."

Customer's Name: James Arthur Walker (Windsor, Berkshire, UK)

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