Description

Mankind has extended efforts in perusing the skies withman-madeflying objects for over 2,000 years. The history ofaviation beganwith the invention of kites and gliders, beforeemerging to themultimillion-dollar aircraft industry of the modernera. The originof the first man-made flying objects were kitescirca 200 B.C. inChina. Leonardo da Vinci expressed his dream offlight in severalof his paintings circa the 15th century; however,his dream nevermanifested into a constructed flying vessel. Duringthe 17th and18th centuries, the discovery of hydrogen led to thefirstdevelopment of the hydrogen balloon, which carried people awayathigh altitudes and across several miles. In the 19thcentury,tethered balloons were used to transport people and observebattlessafely above ground as they took place. Otherscientificdiscoveries developed a variety of theories in mechanicsthatbecame the backbone of Isaac Newton's laws of motion andfluiddynamics, which eventually led to the development ofmodernaerodynamics. In the early 20th century, gliders becamethegroundwork for massive aircraft, engine technology, andfurtherdevelopments in aerodynamics.