Aviation History

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We would like to answer the question, of whose contribution was more important for man to fly - Lilienthal or the Wright Brothers? "From Lilienthal to the Wrights" was the subject of the celebration of Lilienthal's 150th birthday in 1998.
Our conclusion is: Lilienthal visualized the cambered or curved wing; the Wright Brothers developed the cockpit, the light weight engine, the wind tunnel tested propeller, and wing warping for control. It is the story of development from the hang glider to the aircraft.

But was Lilienthal really the first glider pilot in history? The principle of hang gliding is very similar to that of the traditional 2000 years old Chinese kite. Pilots in the stone age? - We ask this question in consideration of the earth drawings in the desert of Nasca (Peru).

Lilienthal's method of flying is very similar to the hang gliding sport of today. In the 1970s, there was a revival of this flight technique. Using the flexkite of NASA-engineer F. M. Rogallo John Dickenson from Australia developed this new minimum structured flight system in the 1960s. This is a good reason for the Otto-Lilienthal-Museum to assemble a collection of hang gliders.

"Lilienthal and photography" is the fascinating story of the coincidence of first human flights and the beginning of action photography.