Samuel P. Langley (1834–1906). On May 6, 1896, a strange machine flew one half mile (800 meters) over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. The odd craft was about 16 feet (4.8 meters) long and weighed some 26 pounds (12 kilograms). It flew about a minute and a half. This was the first time a power-driven, heavier-than-air machine stayed in the air for more than just a few seconds.

The builder of this airplane model was Samuel Pierpont…