The Art and Science of Flight: From Mythical Wings to Modern Skies
The Art and Science of Flight: From Mythical Wings to Modern Skies Introduction: The Eternal Desire of Flight "Man must get above the Earth—to the crest of the atmosphere and beyond—for only thus will he thoroughly comprehend the world wherein he exists." – Socrates For centuries, man has looked to the sky with envy, spinning myths of winged deities and enchanted chariots. Flight is today's ordinary miracle: 100,000 daily commercial flights cut through the air to transport more than 12 million people around the world. Yet, behind this routine is a story of ingenuity, courage, and relentless curiosity. It is the tale of how men mastered the skies—and of how flight, in turn, remade civilization. 1. Time Travel: From Icarus to the Jet Age Early Attempts and Myths Icarus' waxen wings were what ancient Greeks fantasized about; Leonardo da Vinci made drawings of bird-like ornithopters. But 1903 was the year that saw the Wright Brothers' Flyer I break through gravity ...