Alexander Mozhaysky was a Russian rear admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy who spent his later career researching and designing heavier-than-air aircraft. Around 1884 he built an aircraft that used a launching ramp and steam engines, with flight-control and propulsion features that were innovative for the period. Soviet-era publications once claimed the aircraft achieved the first powered flight, but research by the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute between 1971 and 1981 found that its wings lacked the aerodynamic curvature needed to generate enough lift for sustained flight. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Russia, nationality there.
Sources
1. Alexander Mozhaysky (Wikipedia)
Article body, birth date
Born (1825-03-21)21 March 1825
Article body, death date
Died 1 April 1890(1890-04-01) (aged 65)
Article body, birth date [birth-year]
21 March 1825
Article body, death date [death-year]
1 April 1890
Article body, intro sentence
was an admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy
View the SourceFrequently Asked Questions
Did Alexander Mozhaysky achieve the first powered flight?
No. A 1971 to 1981 study found the wings could not generate enough lift.
Soviet-era publications once claimed so, but the evidence does not support it. Around 1884 the Russian naval officer built an aircraft that used a launching ramp and steam engines. Research by the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute between 1971 and 1981 found that its wings lacked the aerodynamic curvature needed to generate enough lift for sustained flight.
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