Powered Flight - the Story of the Century. Part 1

A Study of Britain's Contribution to the Conquest of the Air. Made by the Shell Film Unit in collaboration with the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Beginning with the evolution of ballooning, the film briefly surveys the early development of powered flight and the key figures involved Cayley, Henson, Stringfellow, Pilcher, Hargrave before moving on the successful early flights of the Wright Brothers. Includes early footage of the Santos-Dumont 14-bis and Demoiselle, Voisin hydroplane, Wright A, Hubert Latham's Antoinette, Louis Bleriot and the 1909 Bleriot XI crossing of the English Channel, Rheims 1909 air show, 1910 Claude Grahame-White London-Manchester air race with footage of Henry Farman, 1911 Coronation Aerial Post, Cody and the 1911 War Office Military Aeroplane Trails, Royal Aircraft Factory BE2, Sopwith Tabloid and the Monaco Schneider Trophy contest.
This is followed by the outbreak of First World War (Sopwith Pup / 1½ Strutter / Camel / Snipe), SE5, Fokker DVII, Short naval aircraft trials taking off from ships and Porte Felixstowe flying boats. The rise of the military uses of Zeppelin airships, Bristol Flighter and Handley Page 0/400 aircraft.
The film then moves onto the 1919 transatlantic flight attempt of Hawker and Mackenzie Grieve in the Sopwith Atlantic and the successful non-stop flight of Alcock and Brown in the Vickers Vimy, the 1919 RAF Hawkinge-Cologne 1919 aerial postal service and the beginning of commercial airlines with George Holt Thomas’ Aircraft Transport & Travel (AT&T) service.
The film then moves on to the 1920s aviation aerobatics and joyrides. The de Havilland Moth and the development of Croydon Airport and Imperial Airways airliners including Handley Page W10 ‘City of Melbourne’ G-EBMM and various Handley Page HP42 airliners (G-AAXD 'Horatius', G-AAUE ‘Hadrian’, G-AAUD 'Hanno', G-AAUC ‘Horsa’, G-AAXE ‘Hengist’ and G-AAXC ‘Heracles’) are featured.
The Royal Aeronautical Society has received the permissions for sharing these videos by Shell International Limited. For use of videos for non-commercial purposes credit the Royal Aeronautical Society with the respective company. For commercial use and for further information on each videos copyright, contact: [e-mail]

[@charleswesley9907]

Gustave Whitehead has been finally credited with first in powered flight ahead of the Wrights . His accomplishment was sandbagged by the Smithsonian for a century.

[@James-re6co]

Is Whitehead mentioned in the video? I searched the transcript but could find it not.

[@stevebiddell2839]

A question that has always intrigued me, didnt armies have much more highly developed artillery, eg sub deck guns, to deal with relatively slow & fragile aircraft?

[@user-ou9ft9th3h]

Great documentary.

[@jeffjordan3806]

Very comprehensive! Thank you.

[@stevebiddell2839]

*and navies