Gustave Weißkopf was a German who emigrated to the U.S., where he soon changed his name to Whitehead. From 1897 to 1915, he designed and built flying machines and engines. On 14 August 1901, Whitehead claimed to have carried out a controlled, powered flight in his Number 21 monoplane at Fairfield, Connecticut. An account of the flight appeared in the Bridgeport Sunday Herald and was repeated in newspapers throughout the world. Whitehead claimed two more flights on 17 January 1902, using his Number 22 monoplane. He described it as having a 40 horsepower (30 kW) motor with twin tractor propellers and controlled by differential propeller speed and rudder. He claimed to have flown a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) circle.
For many years the Whitehead claims were ignored or dismissed by mainstream aviation historians. In March 2013, Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft published an editorial which accepted Whitehead’s flight as the first manned, powered, controlled flight of a heavier-than-air craft.
Robart, 1908
Da Silva, 1909
Sloan, 1910
Stoeckel, 1909
Witzig-Liore-Dutilleul
Mr Attwood taking off, ca. 1910-1915
The Willoughby Hydro-aeroplane. Pelican, ca. 1910-1915.
Albessard
Autostable
Bertrand U1
Dorand, 1908
Gilbert
Givaudan, 1909
Kluytmants No. 18, ca. 1909
Paulhan, 1911
Belin
De Puiseux When bicycling and gliding collide.
Robart 1908
Sanchez Besa, 1912
Sylphe, 1911
Vaniman
Vedovelli, 1911
Jourdan, 1911
Jourdan, 1911
Kauffmann No. 1 1910
Moisant, 1909
Moisant, 1909
Paulhan, 1911
