lotnictwo: Fixed-wing aircraft

Evidence: 45 • authority: 72

The history of aviation spans over two millennia, from the earliest innovations like kites and attempts at tower jumping to supersonic and hypersonic flight in powered, heavier-than-air jet aircraft. Kite flying in China, dating back several hundred years BC, is considered the earliest example of man-made flight. In the 15th-century Leonardo da Vinci designed several flying machines incorporating aeronautical concepts, but they were unworkable due to the limitations of contemporary knowledge. In the late 18th century, the Montgolfier brothers invented the hot-air balloon which soon led to piloted flights. At almost the same time, the discovery of hydrogen gas led to the invention of the hyd…

Evidence: 32 • authority: 72

Evidence: 32 • authority: 72

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Evidence: — • authority: 62

Most fixed-wing aircraft are operated by a pilot, but some are controlled remotely or are completely autonomous (no remote pilot). == History == === Kites === Kites were used approximately 2,800 years ago in China, where kite building materials were available. Leaf kites may have been flown earlier in what is now Sulawesi, based on their interpretation of cave paintings on nearby Muna Island.