FLUG WHAT?
RICH IN HISTORY. SORT OF.
1480's - Leonardo da Vinci Studies of Manned Flight
Leonardo da Vinci makes the first real studies of flight accumulating over 100 drawings that illustrated his theories of flight.
Notable Craft: The Ornithopter
1799 - 1850's - George Cayley's Early Gliders
George Caley, in his work to discover a way for man to take to the air, designs many different gliders.
Notable Achievement: Shaping Wings to Allow Air Correct Air Flow
19th Century Efforts
German Engineer Otto Lilienthal continues to evolve glider theories. He was the first person to design a glider that could fly a person for long distances. His book on aerodynamics that was published in 1889 was the text used by the Wright Brothers as the basis for their flying machines.
Notable Achievement: Surving more than 2500 flights before succuming to gravity.
1903 - The Wright Brothers First Flight
After spending many years learning about the early discoveries in flight, the Wright Brothers regularly took to the air in gliders, much like Cayley. Their work with gliders focused on control for their powered experiments.
Notable Achievement: The first heavier-than-air flight of 120 feet at Kitty Hawk.
1991 - The First Flugtag
The first Red Bull Flugtag took place in Vienna, Austria, in 1991. Since then, more than 35 Flugtags have been held around the world -- from Ireland to San Francisco -- attracting up to 300,000 spectators. The record for the farthest flight-to-date currently stands at 195 feet set in 2000 at Flugtag Austria. The U.S. record stands at 155 feet set in Nashville, TN in 2007.
Teams are judged on three criteria: distance, creativity and showmanship. What constitutes a craft is purely up to the imagination of the participating teams. Past Red Bull Flugtag entries have included a pregnant cow, a diaper-delivering stork, a pimped-out Cadillac, a giant Oompa Loompa, and yes folks -- a lobster named Larry.
