Page 5 - Ruth Law
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RUTH LAW
DAYTONA'S PIONEER AVIATOR
IN THE BEGINNING
Leonardo da Vinci
1452-1519
Gallant men and women have long dreamed the dream
of flight. Many engineers and inventors laid the
groundwork for those who came after.
Artist, sculptor, architect, and scientist Leonardo da Vinci
was also an engineer. He believed man could fly like a
bird. His plans for wing flapping aircraft and flying
chariots were produced as early as 1485.
In Leonardo's infancy a hawk had once hovered over his
cradle. Recalling this incident Leonardo saw it as a
prophetic event.
"An object offers as much resistance to the air as the air
does to the object. You may see that the beating of its
wings against the air supports a heavy eagle in the
highest and rarest atmosphere, close to the sphere of
elemental fire. Again you may see the air in motion over
the sea, fill the swelling sails and drive heavily laden
ships. From these instances, and the reasons given, a
man with wings large enough and duly connected might
learn to overcome the resistance of the air, and by
conquering it, succeed in subjugating it and rising above
it."
Leonardo da Vinci………
HER PLACE IN AVIATION HISTORY
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