George Cayley was born
in Scarborough, Yorkshire, in 1773. He studied under George Walker,
the scientist and mechanic.
Cayley spent most of
his life experimenting with flying machines. In 1804 Cayley constructed
a a model monoplane glider that was five feet (1.524 m) long. The
model featured an adjustable cruciform tail, a kite-shaped wing
mounted at a high angle of incidence and a moveable weight to alter
the center of gravity.
By 1816 Cayley designed
a streamlined airship with a semi-rigid structure. Later he designed
an airship to be powered by a steam engine.
Cayley was the first
to define the principles of mechanical flight. According to Cayley
it was necessary "to make a surface support a given weight
by the application of power to the resistance of air". Cayley
realised that control of flight could not be achieved until a lightweight
engine was developed to give the thrust and lift required.
In 1832 Cayley helped
organize the first meeting of the British Association for the Advancement
of Science. Seven years later he established the Regent Street Polytechnic
in London.
It was not until 1853
that Cayley managed to build a machine that could carry the weight
of a man. He also built a triplane and in 1853 persuaded his coach
driver to fly 900 feet (275 m) across a small valley. This was the
first recorded flight by a person in an aircraft and Cayley has
been described as the "true inventor of the aeroplane".
It is generally believed that it was the first practical heavier-than-air
flying machine.
Cayley was also interested
in railway engineering and land reclamation. He also invented a
new type of telescope, artificial limbs and a caterpillar tractor.
Sir George Cayley died
in 1857.
Sir George Cayley
