Wilbur Wright, in a speech given ca. 1902, graciously gives credit to Otto Lilienthal for his pioneering work in aeronautics. Wright underscores the importance of gaining practical experience before leaping into expensive design and development work:

We figured that Lilienthal in five years of time had spent only about five hours in actual gliding through the air. The wonder was not that he had done so little, but that he had accomplished so much. It would not be considered at all safe for a bicycle rider to attempt to ride through a crowded city street after only five hours' practice, spread out in bits of ten seconds each over a period of five years; yet Lilienthal with this brief practice was remarkably successful in meeting the fluctuations and eddies of wind gusts. We thought that if some method could be found by which it would be possible to practice by the hour instead of by the second there would be hope of advancing the solution of a very difficult problem.

(cf. LearningInvestment (11 Feb 2000), TenThousandHours (20 Sep 2001), ...)

TopicScience - TopicLearning - 2006-01-29

(correlates: TwoFluidModel, DazzlingDarkness, RightAndLevel, ...)