Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines Quiz

Answer: 4

The plane was named "Flyer". It was their own design, including the engine, and had taken years to perfect. The 4th flight was 852 feet long and lasted 59 seconds--which might not seem very log, but was a triumph at the time!

Answer: Constant winds from the nearby sea

The constant winds from the sea close by provided additional lift to their aeroplane, giving it assistance when needed. The Wright brothers had thought carefully about their location: they had researched weather conditions and decided on Kitty Hawk after noting its breezes. They also noted that sand would make a softer landing, though!

Answer: Orville

They chose who would fly first by tossing a coin; Wilbur was the winner. His trial flight was made on December 14th, but it was not successful. So it became Orville's turn was to make the next flight, which made history to become the first manned, powered flight by an aeroplane.

Answer: June Bug

Curtiss had designed the "June Bug" for the Aerial Experiment Association (AEA), and test piloted it. Since he pre-announced his flight on the "June Bug", his flight is probably the first pre-announced flight and the longest flight at that time. His prize was $2,500--a huge amount in those days!

Answer: Brazil

Although living in France, he was born in Brazil, which regards him as a national hero. The flight, which took place on 12th November 1906, was the first recognized heavier-than-air flight in France. His plane was named "14-bis", or the "Oiseau de Proie" ("Bird of Prey").

Prior to this, however, Santos-Dumont had achieved some other areal-related firsts. In 1901, for example, he won the Deutsch Prize for aviation when he flew an airship that he had built around the Eiffel Tower--the first powered airship flight in history. He won a prize of 50,000 francs for this achievement!

Answer: He was the first to cross the English Channel with an aeroplane

Bleriot's crossing was partially inspired by a competition hosted by the newspaper "Globe and Mail", which announced a prize in 1908 of £500 for anyone who would cross the English Channel in an aircraft before the end of the year. After a year with no one accomplishing this feat, the prize was doubled. Three others besides Bleriot entered the competition, but none managed the crossing; although the Wright brothers wanted to enter, they never did.

Bleriot's flight was on Sunday, 25th July 1909, with his plane Bleriot XI. He took off from Les Baraques in France at 04:41 am and landed at 5:17 near Dover Castle. Bleriot, who had been a manufacturer of car headlamps, was an instant hero.

Answer: True

This was the "Rolls" of "Rolls-Royce" automobiles, a co-founder of the company along with Henry Royce. He made the flight on 2nd June 1910, flying a French-built Wright biplane. He flew from Dover, England, to France and back without landing.

Interestingly, Rolls met his fate in an aeroplane crash. Aged only 32, he died during a aeroplane demonstration when the tail of his plane broke. He died on July 12, 1910.

Answer: Russia

It was designed and flown by Igor Sikorsky when he was still in Russia, before World War I and the Communist revolution. It was a biplane (the name means "the Great" in Russian), and was first flown on 13th May 1913 at St. Petersburg. It was powered by 4 100-hp Argus engines.

Answer: 1911

The Hydroplane, named after aviator and developed by Glenn Curtiss, was first flown on 1st July 1911. A biplane, it featured pontoons and hydroplanes to allow it to skim the surface of, and land on, the water. It could fly as fast as 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers an hour) for as long as 150 miles (240 kilometers)--amazing technology! It is also known as the "Curtiss Model E".

Curtiss went to much trouble to convince the US Navy of the fighting potential of an aeroplane, making several test flights. His hard work paid off!

Answer: He made the first solo transatlantic flight

From May 20-21, 1927, Charles Lindbergh made the first solo transatlantic flight nonstop from New York City to Paris. It was the longest flight ever made at the time, at a distance of 1,900 miles (3,000 kilometers). His flight was not spontaneous; it was part of another competition, one set up in 1919 by Raymond Orteig, who promised a sum of $25,000 to anyone managing a flight between New York City and Paris without stopping, within five years.

The five years passed and no one had claimed the prize. The contest was renewed for another five years, and attempts to win it began. Most contestants, however, suffered setbacks and all were unable to complete the flight. Lindbergh, an airmail pilot, was not well-known, and thousands of dollars were put into assisting him.

His flight in the aeroplane "Spirit of St. Louis" lasted 33.5 hours, through storms and other dangers. Recalling the actions of his predecessor Albero Santos-Dumont, Lindbergh flew around the Eiffel Tower before touching down in Paris. He had won the Orteig contest! A crowd of over 15,000 greeted him, and he was soon nicknamed "Lucky Lindy".