Father of aerodynamics
Sir george cayley glider
Sir george cayley inventions...
Now widely regarded as 'The Father of Aeronautics', Sir George Cayley () evolved the idea of an aircraft with fixed wings, in which the principle of lift was separated from the propulsion system, and in which inherent stability, as well as tail-unit control-surfaces, must be incorporated.
Born in Yorkshire in , Sir George Cayley was an English country squire whose estate was in the village of Brompton near York.
Very well educated in science and mechanics, he applied a rigorous approach to the problems of flight because, with clear and great vision, he knew that the ability to navigate "the ocean that comes to the threshold of every man's door" was a most important goal.
By , he had realised the fundamental importance of lift to balance weight and thrust to overcome drag - as indicated by the engraving on the famous Cayley 'coin' that is kept in the London Science Museum.
Most importantly, he recognised that, for heavier-than-air flight, "the whole problem is confined within the