Samuel Pierpont Langley

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Samuel Pierpont Langley (August 22 1834 in Roxbury, Massachusetts near Boston, – February 27 1906, Aiken, South Carolina) was an United States astronomer, physicist, inventor, aeronautics pioneer and aircraft engineer.

Langley unsuccessfully competed to make the first working heavier-than-air aircraft. He was in part hindered by his use of heavy steam engines for power.

A number of things related to aviation have been named in Langley's honor, including:

• Langley medal
• NASA Langley X-43A Hyper-X
• NASA Langley Research Center (NASA LaRC), Hampton, Virginia
• Langley field
• Langley Air Force Base
• Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory
• Langley unit of solar radiation

External links

• http://www.flyingmachines.org/lang.html

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