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Wheeling is just like flying!
James Howard Means, editor of the influential journal, The Aeronautical Annual, published an article in 1896 called “Wheeling and Flying,” in which he suggested a link between bicycles and flight:
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“It is not uncommon for the cyclist…to remark, Wheeling is just like flying!… To learn to wheel one must learn to balance; to learn to fly one must learn to balance.”
James Howard Means
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Connections to the Airplane
In designing their airplane, the Wrights drew upon a number of bicycle concepts:
| • | The central importance of balance and control. |
| • | The need for strong but lightweight structures. |
| • | The chain-and-sprocket transmission system for propulsion. |
| • | Concerns regarding wind resistance and aerodynamic shape of the operator. |
Go to Inventing a Flying Machine >>
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