Steam in the Air: The Application of Steam Power in Aviation During the 19th & 20th Centuries

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 aer...