The first person to plan and build a practical manned glider that can fly over long distances, is a German engineer named Otto Lilienthal. Studying aerodynamics, on 1891 he concentrated his efforts on building a glider that can fly.
Otto Lilienthal was captivated by the thought that one day there would be manned flying machines. On 1889, he published a book on aerodynamics. This book was conceptualized from his studies of birds in flight. The Wright Brothers later on referred to this book to build their successful aircraft.




