Talk:Traian Vuia

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" built the world's first self-propelling heavier-than-air aircraft."

Woha there nelly - let's just say that fact is just a little disputed. I'll leave it up to someone else to actually edit since I don't really know what i'm doing.

Yeah, no kidding. Ever heard of a couple of guys named Wilbur and Orville?

'Yeah, no kidding. Ever heard of a couple of guys named Wilbur and Orville?'

Those guys used a catapult to take off. Read more carefully next time.

Insert non-formatted text here Why Traian Vuia is not as popular as Wright brothers? He made first flight by a heavier-than-air, self-propelled aircraft, without the aid of external takeoff mechanisms, the Discovery chanel dosn't even mention his name in "Flight history" documentary, it is not fair!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Look, if you have a point to make, why not try and write it in proper English, using proper WP formatting, and then sign (use 4 ~'s). Now, to your question (if there is indeed a question in there), I refer you to the discussion from First flying machine:

Orville & Wilbur Wright, United States — December 17, 1903

First controlled, sustained heavier than air flight: in the day's fourth flight, Wilbur Wright flew 279 meters (852 ft) in 59 seconds. First three flights were approximately 120, 175, and 200 ft, respectively. The Wrights were the first to fully and accurately describe all the requirements for controlled, powered flight and put them into use in an aircraft that took off from a rail with the help of a headwind to gain sufficient airspeed to fly.

Traian Vuia, Romania — March 18, 1906

First flight by a heavier-than-air, self-propelled aircraft, without the aid of external takeoff mechanisms, such as rail or catapult. Many newspapers in France, the US, and the United Kingdom wrote about the first man to fly with a heavier-than-air machine with its own take off systems, propulsion units and landing gear. The thing that has been emphasized about Vuia's achievement is that his machine was able to take off on a flat surface "only by on-board means", without any "outside assistance", be it an incline, rails, a catapult, etc.

All clear, now? Turgidson 14:44, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

Just a point on why should Vuia's flight be considered a world first: He didn't used any external help or measures for taking of. Remember, one could trow a rock or a glider, or even a motorized glider or whatever from a catapult, and it could fly for many miles (depending on many external factors) but I wouldn't considered it "self propelled" flight, for that you need the thing to be able to takeoff and land by it's own means, and that was what Vuia achieved, and as far as we know now, this was a world's first. No one said that the Wrights weren't the first ones to fly, but Vuia could well be the first one to demonstrate that self-propelled flight of an heavier than air machine is possible (an idea heavily contested at that time as impossible and his flights were considered trickery by the "Academia").