Editing History of aviation (section)

==== George Cayley and the first modern aircraft ====
[[George Cayley]] was first called the "father of the aeroplane" in 1846.{{sfn|Fairlie|Cayley|1965|p=158}} During the last years of the 18th century, he had begun the first rigorous study of the [[Aerodynamics|physics of flight]] and would later design the first modern heavier-than-air craft. Among his many achievements, his most important contributions to aeronautics include:
* Clarifying our ideas and laying down the principles of heavier-than-air flight.
* Reaching a scientific understanding of the principles of bird flight.
* Scientific aerodynamic experiments were conducted to demonstrate drag and streamlining, movement of the center of pressure, and the increase in lift from curving the wing surface.
* Defining the modern aeroplane configuration comprising a fixed-wing, fuselage and tail assembly.
* Demonstrations of manned, gliding flight.
* Identified the crucial understanding that a lightweight, powerful engine would be necessary for sustained heavier-than-air flight, now known as the [[power-to-weight ratio]]
* Recognized for establishing the theoretical foundation for engine use in airplanes and modern aircraft design by identifying and explaining the four fundamental forces of flight: lift, thrust, drag, and weight.
Cayley's research on the aeroplane aimed to address the four fundamental areas that are essential to aeronautics: propulsion, structural design, aerodynamics, and stability and control. His work laid the groundwork for a comprehensive understanding of these critical components, which continue to be vital in the field today.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ackroyd |first=J. A. D. |date=2002 |title=Sir George Cayley, the Father of Aeronautics. Part 1. The Invention of the Aeroplane |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3557665 |journal=Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London |volume=56 |issue=2 |pages=167–181 |doi=10.1098/rsnr.2002.0176 |issn=0035-9149 |jstor=3557665}}</ref>

Cayley's first innovation was to study the basic science of lift by adopting the whirling arm test rig for use in aircraft research and using simple aerodynamic models on the arm, rather than attempting to fly a model of a complete design.

In 1799, he set down the concept of the modern aeroplane as a [[Fixed-wing aircraft|fixed-wing]] flying machine with separate systems for lift, propulsion, and control.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aviation History |url=http://www.aviation-history.com/early/cayley.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090413155148/http://aviation-history.com/early/cayley.htm |archive-date=13 April 2009 |access-date=26 July 2009 |quote=In 1799 he set forth for the first time in history the concept of the modern aeroplane. Cayley had identified the drag vector (parallel to the flow) and the lift vector (perpendicular to the flow).}}</ref><ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Sir George Cayley (British Inventor and Scientist) |encyclopedia=Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/100795/Sir-George-Cayley-6th-Baronet |access-date=26 July 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120723034932/https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/100795/Sir-George-Cayley-6th-Baronet |archive-date=23 July 2012 |quote=English pioneer of aerial navigation and aeronautical engineering and designer of the first successful glider to carry a human being aloft. Cayley established the modern configuration of an aeroplane as a fixed-wing flying machine with separate systems for lift, propulsion, and control as early as 1799.}}</ref>

In 1804, Cayley constructed a model glider, which was the first modern heavier-than-air flying machine. It had the layout of a conventional modern aircraft, with an inclined wing towards the front and an adjustable tail at the back with both tailplane and fin. A movable weight allowed adjustment of the model's [[centre of gravity]].<ref>Gibbs-Smith 2003, p. 35</ref>

[[File:Governableparachute.jpg|thumb|"Governable parachute" design of 1852]]
In 1809, goaded by the farcical antics of his contemporaries, he began the publication of a landmark three-part [[treatise]] titled "''On Aerial Navigation''" (1809–1810).<ref name="AerNav123">''Cayley, George''. "On Aerial Navigation" [http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/fap/OnAerialNavigationPt1.pdf Part 1] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511071413/http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/fap/OnAerialNavigationPt1.pdf |date=11 May 2013 }}, [http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/fap/OnAerialNavigationPt2.pdf Part 2] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511041814/http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/fap/OnAerialNavigationPt2.pdf |date=11 May 2013 }}, [http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/fap/OnAerialNavigationPt3.pdf Part 3] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511052409/http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/fap/OnAerialNavigationPt3.pdf |date=11 May 2013 }} ''Nicholson's Journal of Natural Philosophy'', 1809–1810. (Via [[NASA]]). [http://invention.psychology.msstate.edu/i/Cayley/Cayley.html Raw text] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303193751/http://invention.psychology.msstate.edu/i/Cayley/Cayley.html |date=3 March 2016 }}. Retrieved: 30 May 2010.</ref> In it he wrote the first scientific statement of the problem, "The whole problem is confined within these limits, viz. to make a surface support a given weight by the application of power to the resistance of air". He identified the four vector forces that influence an aircraft: [[thrust]], [[Lift (force)|lift]], [[Aerodynamic drag|drag]] and [[weight]] and distinguished stability and control in his designs. He also identified and described the importance of the [[camber (aerodynamics)|cambered]] [[aerofoil]], [[Dihedral (aircraft)|dihedral]], diagonal bracing and drag reduction, and contributed to the understanding and design of [[ornithopter]]s and [[parachute]]s.

In 1848, he had progressed far enough to construct a glider in the form of a [[triplane]] large and safe enough to carry a child. A local boy was chosen; his name is unknown.{{sfn|Wragg|1974|p=60}}{{sfn|Angelucci|Matricardi|1977|p=14}}

He went on to publish in 1852 the design for a full-size manned glider or "governable parachute" to be launched from a balloon. He then constructed a version capable of launching from the top of a hill, which carried the first adult aviator across Brompton Dale in 1853.