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Kiwi Flight Before the Wright Brothers?

Posted by michael on from the stealing-the-glory dept.

houseofmore writes "The Toronto Star is is reporting that New Zealander Richard Pearse may have very well made several flights beginning almost nine months before the Wright Brothers ever got off the ground. It also notes that "Mad Pearse's" machine was in some ways more advanced than the first Wright Flyer."

9 of 323 comments (clear)

  1. did the wright borthers yell by crazyprogrammer · · Score: 0, Troll

    first landing!!! after their 12 second flight?

    --
    "the fax machine is nothing but a waffle iron with a phone attached to it." - Grandpa Simpson
    1. Re:did the wright borthers yell by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

      you fucking moderators suck cock. the parent was funny as shit. whoever modded this as a troll, please dont be cowards and reply here telling us why you're so fucking retarded.

  2. dupe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    This story feels like a dupe. It might not be, but knowing Slashdot's track record, it probably is...

  3. For those of you too lazy... by LucidityZero · · Score: -1, Troll

    For those of you too lazy to read the article, it doesn't really count at all. Although his "plane" looked a lot like a plane, it was actually just a glider. It wasn't powered, which I do believe was the importance of the Wright Brother's flight. Other people had glided before, but no one had powered themselves off of the ground.

    --
    Sig.i>
  4. I'm offended by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    I'm very offended by the mere idea of Africans being the first to fly. Okay, call me a racist, but I swear I'm not. It's my joy as an American to know that the very root of the largest economic industry was created through an invention of other Americans. Just think about it, where are most of the third world countries? Africa. Where are the countries are the last to become economically and socially developed? Africa.

    To think that a country such as New Zealand could be so ass backwords and still develop such a magnificient technology before Americans (even after 9-11, I add), that my friend, strikes a blow close to my heart.

  5. Re:YOU FAIL IT by Carp+Flounderson · · Score: -1, Troll

    But he DID manage to score the first 4:20 post. (Raises the bong in a toast)

    --

    Color flashing, thunder crashing, dynamite machines.

  6. The Kiwi Flight was Great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    FOR ME TO POOP ON

  7. Anglo-saxon ethnocentrism? by Pig+Hogger · · Score: 2, Troll
    Is it the well-known anglo-saxon ethnocentrism that prevents them from looking elsewhere, say like France, where Clément Ader built working, powered aircraft as early as 1890?

    The french word for "airplane", Avion, was coined by Clément Ader in 1894. Many years before the Wright brothers would turn a propeller.

  8. Re:Revisionist History by jtdubs · · Score: 1, Troll

    What is wrong with all of you idiots.

    Oh, this other guy flew a glider off a big hill and crashed into some bushes, so that means the Wright brothers weren't the first to fly.

    Oh, Benjamin Franklin flew a kite, and that pre-dates the Wright brothers, therefore they weren't the first.

    Oh, and some other guy jumped out of his fucking window and fell 10 feet, and I think he flapped his arms, so that is like flying, so he was first.

    The Wright brothers weren't the first to fly. That's not what they are famous for. They were the first to have sustained, powered, controlled flight.

    Justin Dubs