Taking Off

The papers contained in this volume were presented at the 2003 American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting. This year marks the centennial of manned flight, a major anniversary for an Earth-shattering accomplishment. Six authors discuss the consequences of the Wright brothers' achievements, including the actual accomplishments of the Wrights, the evolution of aerospace engineering and science, the development of civil and military aviation, and the long, intertwining relationship between aviation and the government. Although the Wright brothers are best known for making the first manned flight, their most significant achievement was the creation of aeronautical engineering, a legacy far more enduring than their first flights.