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| WORK IN PROGRESS: Flying Machines |
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Not yet published |
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Draft 126
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B202 Flying Machines
In August 1909, only six years
after the first flight of a heavier than air machine by the Wright
Brothers, twenty-two of the world’s leading aviators met at a
racetrack on the Betheny Plain outside Reims, (English spelling is
Rheims), France, to compete in the first organized international air
meet. Between 300,000 and 500,000 spectators witnessed the races and
contests during the week. 38 planes registered to compete, but only
23 actually flew. The pilots completed 87 flights Most of the
aviators were French, but Americans Samuel Cody and Glenn Curtiss
also competed.
The Reims Air Meet proved the viability of flying. David
Lloyd George, the future prime minister of Great Britain remarked,
“flying machines are no longer toys and dreams. They are an
established fact.” For those who had any doubts about the future of
aviation, the Reims Air Show legitimized the importance and
significance of flight. This poster shows the most important planes
present at the meet and some important contemporary ones that did
not attend, especially those that introduced important technological
innovations. It provides a comprehensive overview of the state of
aviation in 1909.
STATUS: Poster complete. Ready for publication |
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Download full-size PDF
of Draft 122 (low resolution) |
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Bell "Silver Dart" |
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Wright Flyer of 1909 |
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Dunne D4 |
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