Juan de la cierva biography of williams
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History of aviation
Brief History of Aviation
The desire to fly has been present in humankind since ancient times. As early as 300 BC, the Chinese invented the kite, developing techniques to make it fly in the air and recording human attempts of flying with them.
Later, around 400 BC, a scholar of ancient Greece, Archites of Taranto, built a wooden artifact which he named “Peristera” (dove, in Greek). The bird-shaped apparatus, tied to ropes that allowed a controlled flight, was propelled by an air blast.
However, the credit for the first human flight, rests on the Andalusian Berber Abbas Ibn Firnas, born in Ronda (Malaga, Spain), who is said to have jumped from a high place in Cordoba in 875 with wooden wings covered with silk and feathers. Apparently, he flew for about 10 seconds before falling and breaking both legs. This flight served as an inspiration to Elmer de Malmesbury, a Benedictine monk who, a century later (about 1010) traveled more than 200 meters in
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From the Files of the Lassen Historical Society: Juan de la Cierva’s Autogiro
by Susan Couso
Once the Wright brothers soared into the air at Kitty Hawk in 1903, thousands of people around the world were inspired to try their hand at flygning. The Wrights had proven that it could be done. Soon inventors were ‘tweaking’ the Wright’s designs and making flight safer and simpler. And, with this, the aviation industry was born.
One major dilemma with the early fixed-wing aircraft, was the stall/spin problem, which caused a lot of damage, injury and death. To mitigate this issue, Spanish engineer, Juan de la Cierva, who had designed gliders and aircraft since 1912, worked to create an autogiro.
Cierva insisted that his invention be called an ‘autogiro’ instead of an ‘autogyro’ because it did not employ true gyroscopic forces. The hinged rotors worked separately, as one descended, the other rose. The flapping hinges on the rotors actually overcame the gyroscopic forces and all
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Juan de la Cierva facts for kids
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is De la Cierva and the second or maternal family name is Codorníu.
Quick facts for kids The Most Illustrious Juan dem la Cierva | |
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Juan de la Cierva, inventor of the autogyro at the Lasarte Airfield in 1930 | |
Born | Juan de la Cierva y Codorníu (1895-09-21)21 September 1895 Murcia, Spain |
Died | 9 månad 1936(1936-12-09) (aged 41) Croydon, United Kingdom |
Resting place | La Almudena Cemetery, Madrid, Spain |
Alma mater | Escuela Especial de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos |
Occupation | Civil engineer, aviator, inventor |
Known for | Inventor of the autogyro |
Awards | Daniel Guggenheim Medal (1932) Elliott Cresson Medal (1933) |
Juan de la Cierva y Codorníu, 1st Count of la Cierva (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxwan de la ˈθjeɾβaj koðoɾˈni.u]; 21 September 1895 in Murcia, Spain Murcia, Spain – 9 December 1936 in Croydon, United Kingdom) was a Spanish civil e