Classic Lecture: The invention of the aeroplane near Scarborough at the time of Trafalgar

AeroSociety Podcast

“Oh come on, surely it was the Wright Brothers who did this!” In his lecture Dr John Ackroyd FRAeS tries to persuade us that Sir George Cayley, not the Wright Brothers, defined the concepts behind the aeroplane and flew it in 1804. After exploring Sir George’s early life and some of his non-aeronautical designs of early tractors, engines and artificial hands, Dr Ackroyd explores Cayley’s key breakthrough, his discovery in 1799 that flapping wings would not lead to flight and what was needed was a complete separation of the lifting from the propulsion system. Dr Ackroyd then analyses Cayley’s results from his glider flights, experiments and concepts using modern aerodynamic techniques and compares Sir George’s achievements to those who came after. He also explores how Sir George learnt from aerodynamic shapes found in nature and that the challenges facing aviation could be divided into the four basic areas which remain the fundamentals of aeronautics today: aerodynamics, structures, flight dynamics and propulsion. The recording concludes by showing how Cayley’s work influenced and compared to the work of future generations, most notably how the Wright Brothers built on Cayley’s work to be the first to conquer the challenge of powered flight. The lecture was specially recorded to mark the 250th Anniversary of Sir George Cayley’s birth and was produced by Peter Laws CEng MRAeS. Find out more about Sir George Cayley by visiting www.aerosociety.com/cayley250