Otto Lilienthal
German aviation pioneer (1848–1896) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Karl Wilhelm Otto Lilienthal (23 May 1848 – 10 August 1896) was a German pioneer of aviation who became known as the "flying man".[2] He was the first person to make well-documented, repeated, successful flights with gliders,[3] therefore making the idea of heavier-than-air aircraft a reality. Newspapers and magazines published photographs of Lilienthal gliding, favourably influencing public and scientific opinion about the possibility of flying machines becoming practical.
Otto Lilienthal | |
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Born | Karl Wilhelm Otto Lilienthal (1848-05-23)23 May 1848 |
Died | 10 August 1896(1896-08-10) (aged 48) |
Cause of death | Cervical fracture sustained in a hang glider crash |
Resting place | Lankwitz Cemetery, Berlin |
Nationality | Prussian, German |
Education | College Mechanical Engineer Major |
Occupation | Engineer |
Known for | Successful gliding experiments; "Father of Aviation" |
Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) |
Spouse |
Agnes Fischer (m. 1878–1896) |
Children | 4[1] |
Relatives | Gustav Lilienthal (brother) |
Signature | |
Lilienthal's work led to his developing the concept of the modern wing.[4][5] His flight attempts in 1891 are seen as the beginning of human flight[6] and the "Lilienthal Normalsegelapparat" is considered to be the first airplane in series production, making the Maschinenfabrik Otto Lilienthal in Berlin the first air plane production company in the world.[7] He has been referred to as the "father of aviation"[8][9][10] or "father of flight".[11]
On 9 August 1896, Lilienthal’s glider stalled and he was unable to regain control. Falling from about 15 metres (49 ft), he broke his neck and died the next day.