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It is officially believed that the era of aviation began on December 17, 1903 the years when the Wright brothers’ plane took off from the ground and lasted for air inconceivable 59 seconds. However, even 7 years before that, two Americans demonstrated a strange aircraft, much superior to the Wright brothers car in all respects. What is it It was? A brilliant invention? Or something else? Incident with cowboy The first message is dated April 19, 1897. The car appeared over a field near the city of Lake Charles (Louisiana) and scared the cows grazing there. Shocked shepherd fell off horses. The device hovered in the air, fell out of the opening hatch rope ladder along which two men went down. They brought into a feeling of a frightened cowboy and introduced themselves as Mr. Wilson and Scott Warren, Americans. The herdman said that he climbed board the aircraft. Wilson and Warren even tried to explain to him the principle of operation of an amazing machine, but a country boy from their I did not understand the explanations and did not remember anything. Trouble in Uvalde The next day, the device showed up in neighboring Texas, near the city Yuvald. Aeronauts landed outside the city, to the landing site residents fled. According to eyewitness accounts, the car had cigar-shaped, length within 30-35 feet (about 10m), in front end – spotlight. The device had propellers, moved Slowly and able to perform complex maneuvers in the air. The local sheriff talked to the balloonists. Wilson called himself New Yorker and was interested in the health of Captain Akers, living in Yuvald. The journalists subsequently spotted Akers, and he confirmed his acquaintance with Wilson. Retired captain characterized his acquaintance as technically motivated educated person. According to Akers, young Wilson was worn with the idea of creating an aircraft heavier than air, which when will be built will shake the world. The young man had the means allowing him to devote himself completely to technical creativity. “I have to admit,” Akers said, “that I didn’t accept then.” Wilson’s statements seriously, considered them fantasies. But apparently I was mistaken, and he managed to build his apparatus, which I am sincerely glad. ” San Antonio interview April 25 car appeared over San Antonio (Texas), causing a stir among the inhabitants. Reporters interviewed crew members, one of whom was the same Wilson. The second was called an electrical engineer from San Francisco. Ballooners said that they built the device for more than 2 years. it their first test flight, at the end of which they intend patent your invention. Further, the device “marked” in the states New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. The last time they were seen in the summer in California, after which they disappeared forever. Intrigues truths This story is still controversial. Researchers aviation in their opinion are unanimous: in 1897 such a flying the device simply could not be created. The first planes could hardly raise one person and the design was more like flying whatnot. Low speed and ability to hang push on the thought of an airship or helicopter. But the first airship with by electric engine “Le France” Charles Renard ascended into the sky in 1884 and flew 8 km. The first Zeppelin took off in 1900 and lasted in the sky for 18 minutes. In 1901, the Frenchman Santos Dumont on covered the Eiffel Tower with its airship and covered a distance of 11 km in 30 minutes. About flights for several tens of miles could not be speech, not to mention hundreds. In addition, none of the eyewitnesses describes Wilson’s apparatus as a balloon attached to it a cabin. The helicopter version is even less likely. First vertical human flight took place in 1907. Frenchman Paul Cornu on the helicopter assembled by him, he took off into the air by 50 cm and sagged in air 20 seconds. There is a version that the Wilson apparatus worked on some unknown principle so far found by the inventor by chance. Missing device Why is neither the device nor it the creator never again announced themselves? The explanation lies with surface and banality is simple: most likely during test flight accident, the car crashed, the crew died. Another invention has been lost. Aviation development went the other way. UFO? There is another version. Ufology they read that the apparatus was a product of an extraterrestrial civilization. Studied The aliens “pretended” to be humans on earth, so as not to cause horror among the local population. Thanks to this disguise, the expedition flew over several states and at the same time had the opportunity to get acquainted closely with earthlings without opening their true essence. If you accept this version, everything falls into place places.
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