The Road to Kitty Hawk

The Epic of Flight

by Valerie Moolman

Chronicles the stories of those who strove to solve the secrets of flight, covering the would-be birdmen of the Middle Ages, the glider design of Cayley, the failed attempts of Lilienthal, Chanute, and Langley, and the Wright brothers' success

Genres: Aviation, History, Nonfiction, American History

176 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1980

About the author

Also wrote Nick Carter: Killmaster series under Nick Carter alias with Mike Avallone and others

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here are the chronicles of early would-be aviators; the stories of those who sought to unlock the secrets of flight. From the aspiring birdmen of the Middle Ages to the gliders of Cayley and Lilienthal, to Langley’s Aerodrome, these are the stories of the aviation pioneers whose visions resulted in the ultimate success of Wilber and Orville Wright.

Many visionaries dreamed of flight; fables, myths, and stories of unique efforts to fly are part of the oeuvre of early civilizations. Kites, balloons, wings . . . all were researched and tried as aviators sought to reach the skies. From these early efforts, and the research that accompanied them, two brothers tested gliders and refined their ideas of what a flying machine should be like. This led them to Kill Devil Hills and fifty-nine seconds that put men in the sky and changed the world

Illustrated with both photographs and drawings, “The Road to Kitty Hawk” examines the efforts and flying experiments of early aviators leading up to the first successful powered flight by the Wright Brothers in 1903. Part of The Epic of Flight series, here are the triumphs and the tragedies that led to man finally reaching taking to the skies.

Recommended for readers interested in the early days of flight, for those interested in how the dreams of flight led to success, and for those interested in learning about the men and women who unlocked the secrets of flight.

[Henry Kline · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good history of 19th century attempts at flight thru to include the early flights of the Wright Brothers. Good pictures make the story!