S2001-2-2 二宮忠八の模型飛行機(機械技術史・工学史(2),社会変革を技術で廻す機械工学)

抄録

Chuhachi Ninomiya had succeeded quite independently in flying a powered miniature aircraft 12 years in advance of the Wright brothers' success with "Wright Flyer". The miniature aircraft had wheels but the Wright brothers' airplane did not have them. Moreover, while the Wright brothers' airplane had two propeller blades, Ninomiya's aircraft had four propeller blades. Even though Ninomiya's aircraft was a miniature model, the originality and the flight results must be recognized as a big achievement. However, Ninomiya's name never appears in the aviation history of the world, and his name is hardly known in Japan compared with the Wright brothers. In this research, his development of the miniature aircraft, the possibility of a real airplane, and the evaluation of Ninomiya by future generations were examined.