Paper airplanes in the 1800s??? | FerrariChat
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Paper airplanes in the 1800s???

Discussion in 'Other Off Topic Forum' started by Horsefly, Jul 16, 2007.

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  1. Horsefly

    Horsefly F1 Veteran

    May 14, 2002
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    #1 Horsefly, Jul 16, 2007
    The airplane was first flown in 1903, (officially anyway,...there are rumors of aircraft prior to that date.) Gliders were flown prior to 1903. But every office building and school in America back in the 1800s had sheets of paper laying around. Did anybody "invent" the idea of a paper airplane before the actual flight of a real aircraft? Theoretically, some kid in an 1870 school room could have folded a piece of paper into an "air plane" and sailed it across the room if he had the knowledge of how to do it. Or were such things actually done, only they were called "paper birds" at the time because the airplane had not be invented yet. What is the history of the paper airplane?

    And more interesting, is there some other amazing invention right in front of our face that can be created with today's common place items, only we don't have the knowledge of how to put it together yet???
     
  2. CookieMonster

    CookieMonster Rookie

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    #2 CookieMonster, Jul 17, 2007
    Nobody knew what the heck a plane was before the wright brothers came along. Sure there were many successful glider flights by otto lilienthal and others but news didn't spread that quickly and everybody was still skeptical about 'flying machines'. When the Wright Brothers took flight in 1903, it wasn't the biggest news in the country as you might think. They were pretty quiet about their new flying machine and worked for a few years perfecting it. They also wanted to protect their new invention from others taking it and making money off of it.

    Interesting fact is they didn't patent the 'airplane' they patented the '3 axis control system' (pitch, roll, and yaw)

    It wasn't till years later were they recognized as the first ones to sustain controlled, powered, manned, flight.

    If you look at early designs, they were all straight winged not delta swept back wings like the 'paper airplane'. I wouldn't doubt that someone made the paper airplane we all know today before the wright's actually flew.

    Isn't it crazy how simple a paper airplane is? I think leonardo divinci is given credit for dreaming and designing the first flying machines on paper. There is no evidence that that he actually built any of them though. and this is in the 1400's.

    Show me how to defy gravity without any principles of lift or propulsion and i'll be damned. levitation anybody?
     
  3. jever

    jever Rookie

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    #3 jever, Jul 17, 2007
  4. WILLIAM H

    WILLIAM H Three Time F1 World Champ

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    #4 WILLIAM H, Jul 17, 2007
    The Chinese had Kites for centuries before the plane

    There may have been some early whackos who used them as hang gliders
     
  5. 350HPMondial

    350HPMondial F1 Veteran
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    #5 350HPMondial, Jul 17, 2007
    remember in, "Planet of the Apes."

    Charleton Heston, made a plane like his space ship.....! And, it was crumpled by "Amazeus," because,,,
    ,
    ,
    ,
    ,it was EVIL!
     
  6. 350HPMondial

    350HPMondial F1 Veteran
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    #6 350HPMondial, Jul 17, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017

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