Cayley, Sir George
Published: August 29, 2006, 6:24 pm
Updated: August 29, 2006, 6:24 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Tom Lawrence
Sir George Cayley (1773 – 1857) was among the first true scientific aerial investigators to understand the underlying principles and forces of flight. Cayley described the fundamental challenges to human flight: the ratio of lift to wing area, determination of the center of wing pressure, the importance of streamlined shapes, the recognition that a tail assembly was essential to stability and control, the concept of a braced biplane structure for strength, and most importantly the need for a lightweight source of power to broaden the utility of the simple glider. He built his first aerial device in 1796 – a model helicopter with contra-rotating propellers. In 1810, Cayley published a three-part treatise, "On Aerial Navigation", in which he stated that lift, propulsion, and control are the three requisites of flight. In 1849, Cayley built a large gliding machine similar to his 1799 design and tested the device with a 10-year-old boy aboard. Cayley's design was the first successful human-carrying glider.
Further Reading
Sir George Cayley: 1773 - 1857 (Flying Machines)
Aviation and Aeromodelling - Interdependent Evolutions and Histories: Sir George Cayley Bt. (Monash University)
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Citation
Cutler J. Cleveland (Lead Author);Tom Lawrence (Topic Editor) "Cayley, Sir George". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 29, 2006; Last revised Date August 29, 2006; Retrieved May 24, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Cayley,_Sir_George>
The Author
Cutler J. Cleveland is Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University, where he also is on the faculty of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Professor Cleveland is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Energy (Elsevier, 2004), winner of an American Library Association award, the Dictionary of Energy (Elsevier, 2005), Handbook of Energy (Elsevier, forthcoming), and is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. He is the recipient of the Adelma ... (Full Bio)
Sir George Cayley (1773 – 1857) was among the first true scientific aerial investigators to understand the underlying principles and forces of flight. Cayley described the fundamental challenges to human flight: the ratio of lift to wing area, determination of the center of wing pressure, the importance of streamlined shapes, the recognition that a tail assembly was essential to stability and control, the concept of a braced biplane structure for strength, and most importantly the need for a lightweight source of power to broaden the utility of the simple glider. He built his first aerial device in 1796 – a model helicopter with contra-rotating propellers. In 1810, Cayley published a three-part treatise, "On Aerial Navigation", in which he stated that lift, propulsion, and control are the three requisites of flight. In 1849, Cayley built a large gliding machine similar to his 1799 design and tested the device with a 10-year-old boy aboard. Cayley's design was the first successful human-carrying glider.
Further Reading
Sir George Cayley: 1773 - 1857 (Flying Machines)
Aviation and Aeromodelling - Interdependent Evolutions and Histories: Sir George Cayley Bt. (Monash University)
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