An Ancient Air; A Biography of John Stringfellow of Chard The Victorian Aeronautical Pioneer

183, [9] pages. Chronology. Illustrations. Index. Examines the life of John Stringfellow of Chard, the first man to demonstrate that engine-powered winged flight was practicable. It reveals his lifelong obsession with aviation and seeks to shed light on the relationship of Stringfellow's work with that of his colleague, William Samuel Henson. 'An Ancient Air: A Biography of John Stringfellow of Chard, the Victorian Aeronautical Pioneer' highlights the meticulous research behind the book, which chronicles the life and contributions of John Stringfellow, an early pioneer of heavier-than-air flight. It offers valuable insights into Stringfellow’s work and his unique background as a self-educated engineer-mechanic, the book is noted for it's utility for historians interested in the early days of aviation and Victorian technology. Harald James Penrose, O.B.E, CEng, F.R.Ae.S, A.M.I.N.A (12 April 1904 – 31 August 1996) was the chief test pilot at Westland Aircraft between 1931 and 1953, a naval architect, and an aviation author. His flying experience ranged from man carrying kites before the First World War to early jet fighters and helicopters. He designed, built and flew his own glider in the 1930s, designed 36 boats and yachts, and wrote many books describing his flying career and the history of British aviation. John Stringfellow (1799 – 13 December 1883) was a British early aeronautical inventor, known for his work on the aerial steam carriage[1] with William Samuel Henson. Together with William Samuel Henson, he had ambitions of creating an international company, the Aerial Transit Company, with designs showing aeroplane travel to exotic locations like Egypt and China. The initial designs were flawed, with Stringfellow's ideas centered on monoplane and triplane models and Henson's ideas centered on an underpowered steam-powered vehicle, however In 1848 Stringfellow achieved the first ever powered flight using an unmanned 10 ft wingspan steam-powered monoplane, built in a disused lace factory in Chard, Somerset. Employing two contra-rotating propellers on the first attempt, made indoors, the machine flew ten feet before becoming destabilized, damaging the craft. The second attempt was more successful, the machine leaving a guide wire to fly freely, achieving some thirty yards of straight and level powered flight. A bronze model of that first primitive aircraft stands in Fore Street in Chard. The town's museum has a unique exhibition of flight before the advent of the internal combustion engine and before the manned, powered flight made famous by the Wright Brothers. Stringfellow also invented and patented compact electric batteries, which were used in early medical treatment. Stringfellow's work was featured in an exhibition in 1868 at The Crystal Palace in London. In 1868 he was elected a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society and used his prize money to build a larger workspace for continuing his experiments. Stringfellow and Henson are honored by the Royal Aeronautical Society with an annual lecture and dinner in Yeovil. Reprint edition. Presumed first printing from this publisher.…