Wright brothers patent warThe Wright brothers patent war centers on the patent that the Wright brothers received for their method of aircraft flight control. They were two Americans who are widely credited with inventing and building the world's first flyable airplane and making the first controlled, powered, and sustained heavier-than-air human flight on December 17, 1903. In 1906, the Wrights received a U.S. patent for their method of flight control.
Aerial Experiment AssociationThe Aerial Experiment Association (AEA) was a Canadian-American aeronautical research group formed on 30 September 1907, under the leadership of Dr. Alexander Graham Bell. The AEA produced several different aircraft in quick succession, with each member acting as principal designer for at least one. The group introduced key technical innovations, notably wingtip ailerons and the tricycle landing gear.
Curtiss V-8 motorcycleThe Curtiss V-8 motorcycle was a purpose-built motorcycle designed and built by aviation and motorcycling pioneer Glenn Curtiss to show the power of his Curtiss Model B-8 269 cu in (4,410 cc) V8 engine intended for use in dirigible airships and upcoming airplanes. Curtiss had already made a record run in 1903 with a V2 engine motorcycle. The V8 motorcycle set an unofficial land speed record of 136.36 miles per hour (219.45 km/h) on January 24, 1907 in Ormond Beach, Florida.
Gordon Bennett Trophy (aeroplanes)The Gordon Bennett Aviation Trophy is an international airplane racing trophy that was awarded by James Gordon Bennett Jr., the American owner and publisher of the New York Herald newspaper. The trophy is one of three Gordon Bennett awards: Bennett was also the sponsor of an automobile race and a ballooning competition.Curtiss B-8The Curtiss B-8 was an early air-cooled 8-cylinder engine used for a number of aircraft and one motorcycle designed by Glenn Curtiss. Made in 1906, the Curtiss V-8 motorcycle set a speed record in January 1907. The engine type powered the AEA June Bug on 4 July 1908, becoming the first Curtiss engine to power a heavier-than-air aircraft in sustained flight. According to Dale Stoner, who had built a replica of the V-8 motorcycle, it ran with 1675 rpm at 136 mph.
AviationAviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. Aircraft include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as hot air balloons and airships. Aviation began in the 18th century with the development of the hot air balloon, an apparatus capable of atmospheric displacement through buoyancy.
Grande Semaine d'Aviation de la ChampagneThe Grande Semaine d'Aviation de la Champagne was an eight-day aviation meeting held near Reims in France in 1909, so-named because it was sponsored by the major local champagne growers. It is celebrated as the first international public flying event, confirming the viability of heavier-than-air flight.
Beinn BhreaghBeinn Bhreagh ( ) is the name of the former estate of Alexander Graham Bell, in Victoria County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It refers to a peninsula jutting into Cape Breton Island's scenic Bras d'Or Lake approximately three kilometres (two miles) southeast of the village of Baddeck, forming the southeastern shore of Baddeck Bay. The peninsula was known to the Mi'kmaq as Megwatpatek, roughly translated to "Red Head" due to the reddish sandstone rocks at the tip of the peninsula.
AEA June BugThe June Bug was an American "pioneer era" biplane built by the Aerial Experiment Association (A.E.A) in 1908 and flown by Glenn Hammond Curtiss. The aircraft was the first American airplane to fly at least 1 km in front of a crowd.
Scientific AmericanScientific American, informally abbreviated SciAm or sometimes SA, is an American popular science magazine. Many scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it, with more than 150 Nobel Prize-winners having been featured since its inception. In print since 1845, it is the oldest continuously published magazine in the United States. Scientific American was owned by Springer Nature until June 2026, when it was sold to LabX Media Group.
Alexander Graham BellAlexander Graham Bell ( ; born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born Canadian-American inventor, scientist, and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He also co-founded the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) in 1885. Bell's father, grandfather, and brother had all been associated with work on elocution and speech, and both his mother and wife were deaf, profoundly influencing Bell's life's work.
MotorcyclingMotorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. For some people, motorcycling may be the only affordable form of individual motorized transportation, and small-displacement motorcycles are the most common motor vehicle in the most populous countries, including India, China and Indonesia. In developing countries, motorcycles are overwhelmingly utilitarian due to lower prices and greater fuel economy.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.