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 (1.52 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.
Available
from Amazon Books (order below)
