Normalsegelapparat

The Normalsegelapparat, designed and built by German pioneer Otto Lilienthal in the mid‑1890s, was the first successful heavier‑than‑air aircraft to achieve sustained, controllable flight. Lilienthal began experiments in 1889, and by 1893 he had constructed the Normalsegelapparat, a monoplane with a wingspan of roughly 5 meters and a total weight of 25 kilograms. Its wings were covered with tightly stretched canvas over a wooden frame, and the airfoil shape was based on careful measurements Lilienthal obtained from studying birds. The pilot sat in an open gondola suspended beneath the wing and controlled the machine by shifting his body weight, a method that later influenced the control systems of early gliders. Between 1893 and 1896 the aircraft performed more than 2,000 flights, reaching altitudes of up to 12 meters and distances of 200 meters. The Normalsegelapparat demonstrated that lift could be generated reliably and that a pilot could steer a free‑flying craft, laying the groundwork for the Wright brothers and subsequent powered aviation. Its simplicity, repeatable performance, and the extensive data Lilienthal recorded made it a cornerstone in the scientific study of aerodynamics. It remains a celebrated milestone in early flight history.