There are certain technologies so revolutionary they boggle the contemporary imagination. Recordings of the human voice, movies, television, nuclear bombs and the internet are all perfect examples.
One might argue that the Wright brothers broke this barrier with their first flight in 1903, but I’d disagree. People saw birds fly and planes and motorcycles go fast—not that the Wright Flyer was at all fast—but what people never saw was a rocket ship going to the moon or planes so fast they broke the speed of sound like the cracking of a bullwhip. We still have some believability barriers to breach. Quiet engines. Super-fast small planes. Supersonic bizjets. Self-flying planes. Will we get there? My money’s on “yes.”
Do you want more Aviation Breakthroughs, Oddities, Milestones? Enjoy “Five Weird Airplanes That Were Surprisingly Popular.”
