Lilienthal's gliders
German Otto Lilienthal is considered as the most important, and succesful glider pioneer. Between 1891 and 1896 he made close to 2,000 brief flights in 16 different designs based on aerodynamic research he conducted in the 1870s and 1880s. Control was achieved by shifting body weight fore-and-aft and from side-to-side.
On August 9, 1896, Lilienthal's Normal Segelapparat collapsed during flight, and he suffered severe injuries. He died the following day in hospital. According to the website of the Lilienthal Museum, there are 5 known surviving examples of his gliders.
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