Aleksandr Fyodorovich Mozhaiski

From Freepedia

Aleksandr Fyodorovich Mozhaiski (1825-1890) in cyrillic Алекса́ндр Ф. Можа́йский was sometimes credited as a "Father of Aviation", for his powered heavier-then-air machine going airborne (generally recognized as the second such flight in that category) in 1884. The disputes about the proper definition of "powered heavier than air flight" still go on. For example, with regard to gliders fitted with small engines that are used non-continuously; these debates do not extend to methods of take off systems. The issue of assisted takeoff can be a issue with early flights, however, since any help given is more significant for how long they were airborne for short flights.