History of Aviation

From Leonardo da Vincis flying machines to the crossing of the English Channel by Louis Bleacuteriot in 1909 this first episode of History of Aviation recounts two centuries of incredible inventions Long before aviation took off many attempts to fly were conducted using simple rotor blades or batlike wings then on to the hotair balloon invented by the Montgolfier brothers and the famous blimp Who

The first tests are conclusive Louis Bleacuteriots exploit gave a real push to the aeronautics industry and feats multiply the Alps are crossed and Roland Garros crosses the Mediterranean Sea Every day aviation demonstrates its prowess while at the same time the First World War broke out in 1914 Aviation would play a key role in the war with the advent of air forces At first used primarily for

As soon as the First World War is over the former war pilots embark on the race for flying feats of all kinds It is a time of recklessness and challenge of loops in the air and stunts and of course the crossing of the Atlantic in 1927 by Charles Lindberghhellip It is also a new era that begins with the expansion of air transportation and the creation of the legendary Aeacuteropostale Civil

Lindberghs Atlantic crossing triggered a race to meet similar challenges Commercial aviation is flourishing while Aeacuteropostale continues to grow with the creation of South American lines New legends are crowned by the public on both sides of the Atlantic Jean Mermoz Antoine de SaintExupeacutery As early as 1931 the first roundtheworld trip is completed in 8 days by veteran pilot Wiley Post He

The interwar period while the Spanish war is raging Hitlers and Mussolinis German and Italian warplanes join Frances forces Russian planes also enter the conflict alongside the Spanish Republican squadrons Famous inventors and pilots outfit and reinforce the fleets of their countries Goering prepares the armament of Germany and sends his pilots to test their planes in Spain quickly followed by

WW2 is declared in 1939 Aviation becomes a strategic tool during the battles of this new worldwide conflict Improving aircraft performance is a priority Fighter planes and bombers equipped with machine guns cannons and sirens fly on a daily basis Each country invests in this increasingly crucial asset In the Pacific Europe and Russia not a single one of the belligerents can escape these air

Aviation is experiencing a new era the race for speed Breaking the sound barrier becomes a global goal French Americans English Russians and Germans Everybody wants to get there first This requires more powerful propulsion engines and jet engines than ever before And every attempt generates hope Englishman Geoffrey de Havilland will pay with his life his plane disintegrates as it reaches the