Did the first airplane have an engine?

Question

Did the first airplane have an engine?

Answer 1

No, the first airplane was a kind of like a glider.

Answer 2

Lots of misinformation above.  There has not ever been nor will there ever be an airplane powered by pedals.  The human body does not produce enough power for its weight to keep it aloft.  The exception was the Gossamer Condor, a super-lightweight experimental airplane that flew in the late 1970s, pedaled by an extremely light, skinny, athletic pilot.  On the whole, human powered flight has not proved possible.

The Wright Brothers were bicycle mechanics, true, but they were also very sophisticated engineers and scientists for their time (the beginning of the 20th Century).

There had been a number of successful glider flights, by the Wright Brothers and others, but it was the Wright Brothers who developed the first really practical control system for an airplane (using their gliders for experimental purposes), and went on to develop what is thought to have been the first controllable powered (that is, with an engine) airplane.

So the answer is "yes and no."  A glider is a type of airplane, but with severe practical limits.  The first powered airplane was flown by the Wright Brothers at Kill Devil Hills, NC on December 11, 1903.  It accelerated, lifted, and flew above the point of departure that day, and that is considered the first day of human flight.

Answer 3

No But When The Wright Brothers Made The First Powered In Plane It Had An Engine

Answer 4

is there still such a thing as pedaling to turn ur propeller? I wanna try one out

Answer 5

Billruss is correct.  An airplane is considered to have an engine.  An 'Aircraft', on the other hand can also be a baloon or Glider.  

The contributor that said human power is impossible, obviously knows little about aviation.  The Gossamer Albatross, which flew across the English Channel in 1979 was human powered inclusive of takeoff and landing.  (many articles herre, http://www.google.com.sg/search?hl=en&q=... )

You can find more about human powered aircraft here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human-power...

Answer 6

No, the first aircraft were gliders.  Otto Lilienthal pioneered manned gliders.  One of the most important, and most ignored, achievements of the Wright Brothers, was to design an engine that had a power/weight ratio high enough to power their glider

Okay, the first Wright engine was NOT "pedal powered". It was an internal combustion 12hp water cooled engine, with the carburetor designed from a soup can.

Answer 7

yea

Answer 8

yes, by definition, otherwise it's a glider.

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Answer 9

The 'engine' was powered by pedals, technically it was an engine but compared to today its a bicycle pedal.

Answer 10

yes it did

the definition of an airplane is an engine-driven flying vehicle

if it doesn't have it, its just a glider

Answer 11

Yes, I believe the pilot was the engine and he was pedaling to turn the propeller.  Hence Orville and Wilbur were bicycle mechanics.

Answer 12

An 'airplane' derives lift from airflow over a fixed wing surface, and includes both powered & unpowered types, An 'aircraft', on the other hand, is any machine capable of operating above the ground and includes airplanes, helicopters, baloons, blimps and dirigibles. (i'm excluding missiles since they are more ballistic in nature)

Therefore, the answer is no.

The Wright Bros. are famous for performing the first successful powered flight.  

Answer 13

Yes, by definition it had to have an engine or it would have been another glider. Gliders had been flown relatively successfully for a few years before the Wright brothers flew their airplane. In fact the Wright brothers themselves tested many of their designs as kites and gliders before fitting an engine. Human powered flight was not easy, it was many years later that a human powered airplane was developed. It had to be much lighter than one with an engine, and was built of light weight composites.