Novelty Gallery: Aircraft Decorative Patterns from China and Abroad

Author: Wang Xin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-07-01
Features: Long ago, people dreamed of having a pair of wings to fly freely in the sky like birds. In France, there was once a brave adventurer who made a pair of wings out of canvas and jumped from a tall tower, attempting to learn how birds fly. Unfortunately, he died in the fall. In August 1896, Otto Lilienthal, a famous German glider expert, also tragically lost his life in an accident during a gliding practice. This event caught the attention of two young brothers in Dayton, Ohio, who repaired bicycles—Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright. Due to their humble background, they did not receive higher education, but with relentless perseverance, they taught themselves German, read Lilienthal's works such as The Problem of Flight and Glider Practice, and mastered mathematics and aerodynamics. They carefully observed the flight movements of eagles, summarized the experiences of predecessors, repeatedly calculated and experimented, and developed a glider with wingtips that curled and equipped with movable rudders. From 1900 to 1902, after three trials, they measured wind pressure and airflow, recorded data, and continuously improved the shape and structure of the wings and rudders, giving the airplane its initial form.
After the first powered manned aircraft was born, aircraft were also developed in various European countries. With the needs of production and daily life, more advanced aircraft continued to emerge. Since the invention of aircraft, it has only been a century, yet humanity has achieved one success after another in conquering the sky and the universe. To date, there are: transport aircraft, fighter jets, attack aircraft, bombers, antisubmarine aircraft, reconnaissance aircraft, seaplanes, helicopters, trainer aircraft, gliders, passenger aircraft, agricultural aircraft, remote-controlled aircraft, and more. Aviation science is boundless. As time passes, science continues to develop, and humanity's ability to conquer the sky also improves.
The book 1,000 Examples of Aircraft Decals from China and Beyond features over 1,000 illustrations of aircraft from around the world. To maintain the completeness of the materials, some excerpts from other versions have been included. Special thanks are extended to the original authors.