Was Richard Pearce from New Zealand the first person to fly?

Answer 1

I have never heard of this airman. I am familiar with the Wright Bros, Glenn Curtiss, Langley and other flight pioneers. the Austrian govt had a project called the Kress Project which was a sort of flying boat- seaplane circa. l902 it did not work int hat year may have been improved later, at last report around WWi it was sold to the Russians! The Kress project used Mercedes gas engines probably modified racing auto or similar. Was Mr. Pearce a Balloonist? thaqt"as the oldest form of manned flight. Earliest serious Glider man wqs Otto Lilienthal (Germany) I have never hyeard of Mr. Pearce... Pierce- of Pierce-Arrow fame was an automobile manufacturer that ultimatley sold out to Studebaker5 during the Depression slump of the thirties, they fially quite the car trade around l936. Firm has been reactivated as Pierce-Arrow for the manufacture of Fire Engines, still active. no aircraft maker of that name to my knowledge. I know a lot about early and experimental craft such as the Caproni Bombers-including the nine wing job, and numerous LTa and hybrid jobs, the Imperial Russians wuite keen on a sort of dynamic-lift winged blimp sorry7l no Pearce, the autoobvile, yes, but that"s spelled differently.