Royal Aeronautical Society @ HM

Location: Hochschule München, Lothstr. 64, “Roter Würfel”

There are competing claims to who made the first powered flight. Santos-Dumont (1906) and Curtiss (1908) performed public, expert-witnessed flights, but what evidence supports earlier claims?

Until 1948, the Smithsonian credited Samuel Langley (1903), before later endorsing the Wright brothers (also 1903) under a controversial, once-secret contract. Even earlier claims, including those by Gustave Whitehead (1901), further complicate the story. This lecture applies evidentiary standards to examine the issue.

Programme

17:30 Prof. Dr. Sonja Munz, Vice President Research HM Munich University of Applied Sciences

17:45 Welcome Address – Royal Aeronautical Society Brian Phillipson, Chairman RAeS Munich Branch

18:00 Lecture by John Brown

19:00 Motivation, Overview and Status of Whitehead Projects at Munich University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klemens Rother

19:45 Discussion

20:00 Refreshments and Networking