Steam in the Air

This unique history of aviation offers a detailed look at early experimental aircraft designs created by pioneering engineers in the Age of Steam.   In the early 19th century, when scientific investigation into manned flight began, it was only natural that intrepid inventors would turn to steam power to propel their machines—no other portable source of propulsion was available. Though largely unsuccessful, the resulting creations made significant breakthroughs in the early development of aeronautics and aviation.   In Steam in the Air, aviation historian Maurice Kelly provides a detailed look at many of these intriguing, fanciful and extraordinary designs from around the world. With accessible prose and helpful illustrations, Kelly describes the various types of steam engines adapted for use in flight and the flying-machines into which they were fitted.