First Flight: The Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Airplane

Heppenheimer, T. A.

ISBN 10: 0471401242 / ISBN 13: 9780471401247

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, 2003

About this Item

The story of the Wright brothers and their path to the first heavier-than-air powered flight. 394 pages. Includes dust jacket. Ex library with usual markings.

Seller Inventory # 026958

Bibliographic Details

• Title: First Flight: The Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Airplane
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ
• Publication Date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0471401242
• ISBN 13: 9780471401247
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Aviation-Pioneers/History
  • Aviation-Technical/Engineering/Maintenance
  • Aviation-Biography

About this title

Synopsis

An aviation expert uncovers the brilliance behind the first successful flight of an engine-powered plane
In the centennial year of the Wright Brothers' first successful flight, acclaimed aviation writer T. A. Heppenheimer reexamines what Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved. In First Flight, he debunks the popular assumption that the Wrights were simple mechanics who succeeded by trial and error, demonstrating instead that they were true engineering geniuses. Heppenheimer presents the background that made possible the work of the Wrights and examines the work of Samuel P. Langley, a serious rival. He places their work within a broad historical context, emphasizing their contributions after 1903 and their convergence with ongoing aeronautical work in France.
T. A. Heppenheimer (Fountain Valley, CA) has written extensively on aerospace, business, and the history of technology. His many books include Turbulent Skies: The History of Commercial Aviation (0-471-10961-4), Countdown: A History of Space Flight (0-471-14439-8), and A Brief History of Flight: From Balloons to Mach 3 and Beyond (0-471-34637-3), all from Wiley.

About the Author

T. A. HEPPENHEIMER is a well-known author who has published extensively on aviation and aerospace, business, and the history of technology. Among his many books are Turbulent Skies: The History of Commercial Aviation, Countdown: A History of Space Flight, and A Brief History of Flight, all available from Wiley. He holds a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan and is an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Aerospace.