Jim Davis wrote:

Pat Flannery wrote:



And a pilot aboard. If I recall correctly, Langley flew an
*unmanned* internal-combustion powered aircraft quite
successfully a few years earlier.



Assuming you are referring to Aerodrome Number 5, it was powered
by a steam engine.



He's referring to Langley's 1/4-scale aerodrome which was internal-
combustion engine powered and flew on August 8, 1901. The earlier
aerodromes 5 and 6, which were steam powered, flew in 1896.


I assumed he was refering to the number 5 or 6, as both flew more
succesfully than the 1/4 scale internal combustion powered one; Number 5
flew twice on May 6, 1896; in the first it flew 3,300 feet, in the
second it covered 2,300 feet.
The next day Number 6 flew 4,790 feet. In contrast, the 1/4 scale one
only covered 1000 feet in its longest flight:
http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero...ft/langley.htm

Pat