Australian Aviation Pioneers Celebrated in Centennial Year of Powered Flight

摘要

It has been well accepted that in 1903 near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, U.S.A., Wilbur and Orville Wright, accomplished the world’s first controlled, sustained, and powered, heavierthan- air flight. This paper explores that exact feat; controlled, sustained, and powered flight in Australia. At the time following the Wrights’ success and demonstrations around the world, many enthusiasts gathered and contended for the honor in Australia. There were a number of men who claimed to be ‘the first’, but there was only one man who had designed, built, and flown his own aircraft; John Duigan. To achieve his demonstrated, controlled flight, John had to make some adjustments to the aircraft from its original design. A flight simulation model was also developed in an attempt to verify the accounts of John and his first flight. On 16 and 17 July 2010, a Centenary of Powered Flight celebration took place near the original flying site at Mia Mia, Victoria, AUSTRALIA, in recognition and honor of the achievement of John and Reginald Duigan.