Attempts at manned flight on an aircraft with an engine were made even before the flight of the Wright brothers' Flyer I. One of the closest to success was the inventor Samuel Langley, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. After successful flights of unguided models with a steam engine, in 1898 he received a grant from the US Army to develop a manned airplane. October 7 , 1903 - the first attempt to fly an airplane Langley Aerodrome A.
By 1903, Aerodrome A was built with tandem wings, a cruciform tail and a 52 hp Manly engine. A barge with a catapult was supposed to be used for takeoff.
Aerodrome was tested over the Potomac River under the control of engineer Charles Manly. Unfortunately, he crashed into the water immediately after takeoff. Manly was not injured and the plane was decided to be restored. The second attempt took place on December 8, 1903 and was also unsuccessful. And after 9 days, the Wright brothers flew.
