Design of one of Otto's flying machines.

Otto Lilienthal was a German engineer who is best known for his glider research and flights. He was the first person to launch himself into the air and fly.

Lilienthal was born in Anklam, Germany, in 1848. He built his first glider in 1891, and his "normal" glider was first constructed in 1894.

Lilianthal was killed on August 8th, 1896, when he stalled and crashed to the ground while gliding.

In 1893, Lilienthal built a flapping wing machine driven by a motor basd on the action of a bird's wing. He began to build gliders. Lilienthal brcame the top expert on gliders in Germany and gliding became a popular sport.

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