aircraft flown in nsw years before wright brothers

[BrendAn]

wondering if anyone has information about this flight conducted in nsw .

it was in 3 different newspapers and the nerandra library has information .

the articles may not be in order but should be interesting for aviation history buffs.

[BrendAn]

i don't know if its a glider or human powered. there is no mention of propulsion but they say it ascended 160 feet at an astonishing 10 mph.

[pmccarthy]

AN AERIAL VEHICLE.

A correspondent writes from Carrathool: — An ingenious young man named Richard Rowe, of Whitton, has constructed an aerial machine which bids fair to become an unparalleled success and to entitle his name to be recorded with those of great inventors of past and present ages. It is the outcome of two and a half years of hard study and indomitable perseverance. At times he would abandon the task as being impossible to accomplish, but would again resume it with renewed energy and greater determination to succeed, believing that such a vehicle could be made which would enable people to travel through the atmosphere with speed and safety. It is said that perseverance, combined with keen perception, will overcome all difficulties which at first appear insuperable; and it is amazing to see what success he has so far brought his invention. The machine is constructed of with marvellous mechanism, but finding that wood was not sufficiently strong to withstand the great pressure and work which would have to be sustained and performed by it, he is now engaged in making one with improvements composed mostly of steel. He has made some very successful ascent or trials, reaching a height of 150 feet, and proposes ere long to give exhibitions in the art of aerial navigation. The machine which can be manipulated by either the hands or feet — and in two ways or methods by the hands— rises from the ground, there being no necessity to place it on an elevated position; and one great feature in it is that the occupant has complete guiding control over it, and is enabled to ascend and descend at will, and to propel himself through the air with astonishing rapidity, about 10 miles an hour. The inventor smiled when he heard that Blondin was to get 1000 dols. for walking on the tight-rope from the top of Eiffel Tower to the Exhibition building in Paris, and said he would undertake "to fly" the distance from the same elevation "free gratis" and show the world that Australians had the pluck and ability to accomplish anything what man could do under the sun. Sceptical was the condition of our mind when we read the above communication, for we did not find it easy to believe that place like Whitton could furnish an environment favorable for the development of a mechanical genius. We consequently referred the item back from whence it came, only to receive by return post a re-iterated assurance that it was correct in every detail. In reply our correspondent wrote :— I can quite understand your inclination to doubt the truth of, my par re "aerial vehicle.'' The thing seems almost' incredible and misleading. I have seen the machine, also an ascent, and I do not hesitate to say that the success of the machine is really marvellous. I was desired to ask you to publish the par which I sent last week, otherwise I would not have sent it, as he is very reticent as to it's manufacture. Personally speaking, I was sceptical myself and laughed heartily at the lunacy of the man. I fully anticipated a fearful death for the aeronaut."

[BrendAn]

Excellent, thanks p m

[onetrack]

Original newspaper articles are linked to, below. I'd have to opine Richard Rowe built himself a box kite in the same style as Lawrence Hargrave.

However, it's interesting that Rowe got airborne in 1889 and Hargrave didn't fly in his box kite until 1894. There was a lot of interest in building kites that could carry a person in this period, the 1880's.

 

Australian aviation pioneer Lawrence Hargrave celebrated 130 years after first heavier-than-air flight - ABC News

WWW.ABC.NET.AU

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Australian inventor Lawrence Hargrave created history when he was lifted off the ground in a flying device he created in 1894. Now, 130 years later, he is remembered as a generous pioneer whose...

 

AN AERIAL VEHICLE. - Cootamundra Herald (NSW : 1877 - 1954) - 12 Oct 1889

TROVE.NLA.GOV.AU

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AN ingenious young man named Richard Rowe, of Whitton, has constructed an aerial machine which bids fair to become an unparalleled success and entitle his name to be ...

 

A FLYING MACHINE. - Ten Miles an Hour. ALBURY, Friday. - The Australian Star (Sydney, NSW : 1887 - 1909) - 26 Oct 1889

TROVE.NLA.GOV.AU

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The Riverina Grazier publishes an article from its correspondent at Carratliool to the effect that a young man, named Richard Rowe, of Whitton, has succeeded ...

 

[pmccarthy]

I don't believe that the photos in BrendAn's first post are of an 1889 machine. They are way too advanced. I have searched this subject for an hour or so and there was no further mention of Mr Rowe, at Whitton or anywhere else. I found other stories of farmers inventing successful flying machines, all seemed to be BS.

[BrendAn]

1 hour ago, pmccarthy said:

I don't believe that the photos in BrendAn's first post are of an 1889 machine. They are way too advanced. I have searched this subject for an hour or so and there was no further mention of Mr Rowe, at Whitton or anywhere else. I found other stories of farmers inventing successful flying machines, all seemed to be BS.

yes. i thought the photo looked a lot like a wright flyer without an engine.   but i got that information from locals that have passed the photos down through the generations and they say they are correct.

if it is true then it is still not sustained powered flight.

 

[onetrack]

I reckon pmccarthy is onto it, the photos are of a later canard-type biplane, and the dress of the ladies (and carrying parasols) is indicative of a European scene around 1910.

Cameras were in their infancy in 1889, the Kodak No. 1 was the first camera available to ordinary people in 1888, but it cost a lot of money, and film was also extraordinarily expensive, as it used silver, and silver was a precious metal.

There would've been very few cameras in NSW in 1889, and it would've been exceptionally rare for anyone to have a camera readied for an aviation tinkerers attempt at flight, at that time.

 

 

[BrendAn]

3 minutes ago, onetrack said:

I reckon pmccarthy is onto it, the photos are of a later canard-type biplane, and the dress of the ladies (and carrying parasols) is indicative of a European scene around 1910.

Cameras were in their infancy in 1889, the Kodak No. 1 was the first camera available to ordinary people in 1888, but it cost a lot of money, and film was also extraordinarily expensive, as it used silver, and silver was a precious metal.

There would've been very few cameras in NSW in 1889, and it would've been exceptionally rare for anyone to have a camera readied for an aviation tinkerers attempt at flight, at that time.

 

 

you draw a lot of conclusions from a grainy photo.  the story is he put on a demonstration in a park and the town turned out to watch. there were reporters there so its quite possible there would be a photographer.

[BrendAn]

it could be an old hoax passed down i guess.    

if it is the locals up there really believe it.

[onetrack]

I do draw a lot of conclusions indeed, from a grainy photograph - but the similarity of the design of the aircraft in the photo, to a 1909 Farman III biplane, is too much to ignore. People die, and photograph details are forgotten.

 

I believe that's a Farman fuel tank sitting just above the heads of the people in the centre of the photo.

 

It's quite likely that Richard Rowe did build a box-kite glider and got airborne with it. Many people in remote areas did record-breaking things that were never recorded properly, and the Wright Bros are noted for their self-promotion and chasing notoriety. They were fortunate to live in a well populated area with plenty of Press on hand.

 

Farman III - Wikipedia

EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

 

Edited February 4 by onetrack

[Student Pilot]

Kiwi's have a good claim with what seems credible information that a Kiwi flew before the Wrights as well.

[onetrack]

The Kiwi farmer, Richard Pearse, did get airborne in some fashion possibly prior to the Wright Bros, but it wasn't controlled or sustained flight, unlike the Wright Bros. 

The American, Gustave Whitehead, who it is claimed, flew before the Wright Bros, is also one of the other largely unsubstantiated early flyers.

It's also likely that Whitehead made a few hops into the air, but once again, his versions of his flying exploits, and the affidavits of the small number of witnesses who sighted him airborne, are regularly in dispute.

 

 

Richard William Pearse, 1877-1953

MY.CHRISTCHURCHCITYLIBRARIES.COM

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Richard Pearse was a South Canterbury inventor, engineer and farmer. He is famous for being one of the first people on Earth to leave…

 

[Freizeitpilot]

Harry Houdini, ever the showman, was smart enough to alert everyone to his flying stunt at Diggers Rest in 1910, There is even a movie. But clearly that was much later than Brendan’s clippings.

[BrendAn]

3 hours ago, onetrack said:

I do draw a lot of conclusions indeed, from a grainy photograph - but the similarity of the design of the aircraft in the photo, to a 1909 Farman III biplane, is too much to ignore. People die, and photograph details are forgotten.

 

I believe that's a Farman fuel tank sitting just above the heads of the people in the centre of the photo.

 

It's quite likely that Richard Rowe did build a box-kite glider and got airborne with it. Many people in remote areas did record-breaking things that were never recorded properly, and the Wright Bros are noted for their self-promotion and chasing notoriety. They were fortunate to live in a well populated area with plenty of Press on hand.

 

Farman III - Wikipedia

EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

 

definately looks like it.  i think the stuff i was given must be a 135 year old hoax.

[onetrack]

As the singular newspaper article (which was reprinted in several other papers of the time) is dependent upon a single persons report - and the fact that there were no follow-up reports, or ensuing stories about Richard Rowes wonderful flying machine, one has to suspect that a grand hoax was being carried out. Even if he had built a flying machine and crashed it, that would certainly have made for further newsworthy reports.

Richard Rowe appears to have vanished from any written records after that solitary flying report, and that in itself is unusual, because even if the person kept a low profile, they appear in newspaper family notices at other times.

[Red]

Yea its an early farman quite possibly the one flown by Dimitris Kamberos

[facthunter]

There's no mention whatever or details of any propulsion. The "Wright FLYER" was able to be banked and was more manoeuvrable than any design hitherto. The counter rotating props cancelled out assymetry. The engine was built in house.  Glen L. Curtis offered to build one for them.  Wright also taught themselves to fly at the same time.  Nev

[BrendAn]

Now you lot will tell me the pillaga yeti is a hoax too.😁

[BrendAn]

There is supposed to be more information about Richard rowe and his flying machine in the nerrandra library. I might see if I can get someone to go and see what's there. True or not he did plan on doing exhibitions and never did so it must have been a failure if it was real.