Nov 8, 2011
5 pictures of the first successful aircraft carrier, 1910
From The Atlantic…
On November 14, 1910, Eugene Ely became the first pilot to successfully launch a plane from a stationary ship. The Curtiss pusher airplane, one of the first models in the world to be built in any significant quantity, flew for two miles before Ely landed on a beach.
Using the same aircraft, Ely landed on the USS Pennsylvania on January 18, 1911, while the ship was anchored at the San Francisco waterfront. He had to use a braking system made of ropes and sandbags, but he was able to quickly turn around and take off once again.
It’s like vintage Flugtag, but with more at stake…
(via Retronaut)
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The price we must pay to be innovative? Heavily soiled undergarments.