aeronautics

Grace Lafferty, an eighteen-year-old wing-walker, thrills crowds with barrel rolls and loop-the-loops in hopes of making enough money to get to the 1922 World Aviation Expo.

On a winter day in 1903, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, two unknown brothers from Ohio changed history. But it would take the world some time to believe what had happened: the age of flight had begun, with the first heavier-than-air, powered machine carrying a pilot. Who were these men and how was it that they achieved what they did? Far more than a couple of unschooled Dayton bicycle mechanics who happened to hit on success, they were men of exceptional courage and determination, and of far-ranging intellectual interests and ceaseless curiosity, much of which they attributed to their upbringing. The house they lived in had no electricity or indoor plumbing, but there were books aplenty, supplied mainly by their preacher father, and they never stopped reading. When they worked together, no problem seemed to be insurmountable. Wilbur was unquestionably a genius. Orville had such mechanical ingenuity as few had ever seen. That they had no more than a public high school education, little money and no contacts in high places, never stopped them in their mission to take to the air. Nothing did, not even the self-evident reality that every time they took off in one of their contrivances, they risked being killed. Historian David McCullough draws on the immense riches of the Wright Papers, including private diaries, notebooks, scrapbooks, and more than a thousand letters from private family correspondence to tell the human side of the Wright Brothers' story, including the little-known contributions of their sister, Katharine, without whom things might well have gone differently for them.

Biography of the Wright brothers from their childhood in Ohio through their invention of the airplane and first flight at Kitty Hawk, told in graphic novel format.

This book introduces readers to the history and future of flying robots.

Explores the lives and achievements of Orville and Wilbur Wright -- the famous brothers who invented the airplane.

Ten exciting stories tell of the success and failures of many famous inventors and pilots in the quest for flight. Stories include: the first hot-air balloon to carry people, the Wright brothers and the first airplane, Charles Lindbergh s nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, Amelia Earhart s attempt at a round-the-world flight, breaking the sound barrier, and Felix Baumgartner s skydive from space. Feature boxes add additional details and simple maps help readers better understand the flight paths. THE FIRST MANNED FLIGHT (November 21, 1783) The first flight in a balloon is made by Pilatre de Rozier, together with an army officer, the Marquis d Arlandes. Pilatre later becomes, along with Pierre Romain, the first known fatalities of an aviation crash. ARRIVING BY DIRIGIBLE (1901) Alberto Santos-Dumont is famous for his pioneering aviation feats. THE FIRST FATAL AIRPLANE CRASH (1908) The Wright brothers make history by claiming the first controlled flight in a heavierthan- air machine in 1903. By 1908, the Wright brothers are travelling across the United States and Europe in order to demonstrate their flying machine. Everything goes well until that fateful day on September 10. LOST IN FOG OVER THE ENGLISH CHANNEL (1909) Louis Bleriot s world record of crossing the English Channel nearly comes unstuck as he becomes disorientated in thick fog... ACROSS THE ATLANTIC (1919) Alcock and Brown s transatlantic record nearly ends in disaster as Brown climbs out onto the wing to chip off the ice... NEW YORK TO PARIS (1927) Charles Lindbergh faces many challenges, including skimming over both storm clouds at 10,000 ft (3,000 m) and wave tops as low as 10 ft (3 m), fighting icing, flying blind through fog for several hours, and navigating only by the stars (whenever visible), and dead reckoning before landing near Paris. LOST IN THE PACIFIC (1927) Amelia Earhart disappears on her flight around the world...THE SOUTHERN CROSS (1935) The famous plane flown by Kingsford Smith has more than its fair share of glory. THE SOUND BARRIER (1947) Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier in a rocket plane, despite having two broken ribs... FALLING FROM SPACE (2012) Felix Baumgartner s record-breaking sky dive from the edge of space.

"Examines the many different breeds of airplane, the anatomy of a plane, and the exciting future of air travel."--Publisher.

An introduction to the Wright Brothers and their amazing achievements, including how the famous aviators conducted historic experiments and designed amazing machines that blazed a trail for the modern world's airplanes, jets, and helicopters.

Two cartoon flies accompany readers as they follow Orville and Wilbur Wright on their quest for flight, providing equal measure of facts and fun while telling the story of a great moment in American and aviation history.

"Learn how to complete DIY projects dealing with aviation. Along the way, get a look at some of history's most incredible inventions and scientific discoveries."--Provided by publisher.