{"product_id":"2940016684444","title":"The Magic And Wonder Of Early Flight","description":"It really wasn’t too long ago that men dreamed of flying as they watched birds fly and soar overhead. Some even had the idea that if they covered themselves in feathers, jumped off cliffs or buildings and vigorously flapped their arms, they could fly with the birds.  The results, however, were a bit more predictable.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt’s possible that if you look up into the sky today, you may see different types of airplanes. A commercial airliner leaves a white vapor trail as it flies silently 30,000-feet over your head carrying passengers and mail not only between cities but maybe between countries or even continents. Perhaps it’s joined in the air by a large cargo jet carrying overnight packages. If you’re close to a military base, perhaps you’ll see a helicopter thunder past or a jet fighter zoom past at the speed of sound.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThese types of aircraft — not to mention their altitude and speed — would shock even the most forward looking aviation pioneer of the 1800s and early 1900s \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book lets you relive the golden age of aviation when a hardy group of adventurers first took to the air in direct defiance of gravity, and too often, common sense. This compelling story of the early days of aviation talks about the men and machines that smashed records and finally allowed mankind to break the bonds holding us to our familiar planet. It's the story of those who succeeded and those who failed. Some were scientists, educated and wealthy but others had more ambition and desire to succeed than training or perhaps common sense.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Magic And Wonder Of Early Flight chronicles the early times of man-powered flight in photographs and stories. We start with the men who put feathers on their arms and legs and jumped off buildings to fly through to the days through to the Wright brothers and up to World War I .\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Magic And Wonder Of Early Flight shows us in several marvelous photographs the story of the pioneers and adventurers who extended the boundaries of human achievement.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlthough the Wright brothers are perhaps the most well-known of the early pioneers in aviation, there were many others leading the way before and after the Wright brothers. Samuel Langley, who just missed by days being the first to achieve powered flight, the Birdmen who entertained thousands of fans with their daredevil skills, Clement Ader who some say did succeed before the Wrights, and many others in France.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe'll talk about how the Wright brothers were able to succeed when so many others failed in their attempts (or worse). The Wright brothers may have been the first to succeed, but aspiring aviators everywhere, particularly in France, were also working hard to overcome gravity with an assortment of contraptions of their own design. The first aviators had only their wits, reflexes and a lot of luck to bring them down safely again. Their aircraft were usually simple combinations of wood, cloth and wire. These fragile aircraft were difficult to control and so sensitive to air currents that even moderate winds could knock them to the ground. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut once flying was established, by the end of 1910 the aviator emerged as an international hero.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe should not forgot the efforts of all these pioneers because our world would be much different today if it weren’t for these dedicated inventors, designers and experimenters.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe great aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal said, “To invent an airplane is nothing. To build one is something. “\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e** CONTENTS:\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction\u003cbr\u003eGods, Angels, Myths, Birds And Men\u003cbr\u003eThe Challenge From The Sky\u003cbr\u003eSimple As A Putting A Cloud In A Bag\u003cbr\u003eThe Airplane Model Makers\u003cbr\u003eFloating Dinosaurs\u003cbr\u003eSacrifices Must Be Made\u003cbr\u003eThe Wings Of Man Take Flight\u003cbr\u003e1908 Was A Really Great Year\u003cbr\u003eAviators Make Big News\u003cbr\u003eThe Birdmen","brand":"Scott Slaughter","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47181849100528,"sku":"2940016684444","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940016684444_p0.jpg?v=1763640215","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940016684444","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}