George Cayley

About

The father of modern aerodynamics who built the first successful glider to carry a human being aloft. He also served the Whig party as Member of Parliament for Scarborough from 1832 to 1835.

Before Fame

He took on several engineering projects after inheriting wealth and title from his father.

Trivia

He built a working prototype helicopter and discovered and identified the four aerodynamic forces of flight: weight, lift, drag, and thrust.

Family Life

He married Katherine Beaumont in 1795 and the couple had three daughters and a son.

Associated With

The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright, used the principles of aerodynamics that Cayley discovered to build the first flying machines.