Inspiration
Abbas Ibn Firnas - The First Man to Successfully Fly
However, there are those that should also be on the list but have soon to be forgotten despite their extraordinary contribution. One of them is the well-known scientist, historian, poet, innovator as well as aviation pioneer, Abbas Ibn Firnas.
ADVERT
Abbas Ibn Firnas Biography
Some of you might be surprised that this man was actually the first human to ever fly by using a contraption far much heavier for a period of 10 minutes. What's more fascinating is that he managed to pull it off 1000 years ahead of the Wright brothers and precisely in 875. The question is who is Abbas Ibn Firnas?
He was born in the year 810 as Abu al-Qasim Abbas Ibn Firnas in Ronda city of the Malaga region, Spain. Not many have known about his childhood life apart from the fact that he was studying in various fields. 
He managed to get his education from Cordoba in which was the wealthiest and most influential city in Andalusia. Abbas definitely stands out as a scientist, innovator, poet, philosopher, chemist, musician, and astrologist.
Due to being so great in many fields, Abbas Ibn Firnas was known as Hakim Al-Andalus which translates to the Wiseman of Andalus. When he was in Cordoba, Abbas developed many aspects of his knowledge so that he can contribute even more to the development of arts and science during the rule of Sultan Abdul Rahman II.
ADVERT
Abbas was considered the first scientist in Europe to ever used the Sindhind astronomy schedule which originated from India. The schedule was then proven to become the foundation of the development of science in Europe.
Not just that, but it was also used as a medium for learning in Universities during the Middle Age as a Quadrivium Subject which was related to music, arithmetic, geometry, and astronomy studies. 
If that's not enough, he also introduced to the Western World the proper techniques to carve crystal stones and expanded the chemical process to produce crystals from different types of minerals.
Abbas also built the anaphoric clock which is a complex mechanism that utilizes water as a fluid engine. The flow of the water is controlled by closing and opening one series of valves while the clock functions similarly to what we used nowadays. However, this technology was considered relatively new at the time.
He also developed the first spherical bracelet or armilla spheres in Europe. This was the device used in the past which comprises of metal bracelet that represents the Celestial Equator, ecliptic, and celestial sphere. It was used for calculation and observational astronomy. 
Armilla sphere
Some of the great examples of his contributions to astronomy include building an organized and mechanical planetarium in his residence in Cordoba. He also complements the planetarium with visual and sound effects that simulate various weather phenomena such as storms with lightning and thunder.
In aviation, Abbas Ibn Firnas is the source for being the pioneer in the usage of parachutes as well as the first to ever design, build and test machinery for flying capabilities. The most amazing thing is that he did all of this 600 years before Leonardo da Vinci improved his flying creation.
On top of that, it was also 1000 years before the Wright brothers managed to pull off their most popular flight ever. 
Wright brothers
The first trial ever done by Abbas was in 852 when he jumped off the tower of the Cordoba mosque using a piece of canvas as a parachute. It was considered the first attempt by any human being.
Despite Abbas Ibn Firnas having a hard land and experiencing heavy injuries like a few broken bones, this shows that his method really does work and it needs a few adjustments. It was also the first time a parachute was ever used in history.
ADVERT Later on, in 875, he managed to invent a glider made from wood and silk as well as equipped with decorative furs from many different birds. He then used his contraption by jumping off from the hills of La Arruzafa. 
At that moment in time, Abbas Ibn Firnas was so confident with his creation that he invited hundreds of people to witness the event. Some of the people that were there included officers from the palace representing Sultan Muhammad I, Caliph of Andalusia.
The trial was a success as he managed to fly with the course of the wind for as long as 2 to 10 minutes. Even though the fall was harsh, he managed to survive and became the first man to fly with his very own contraption. 
If we were to look at the shortest record of flight done by Abbas Ibn Firnas, it was far much better in terms of time and distance achieved in comparison with what the Wright brothers have achieved in 1903.
As of now, the name Abbas Ibn Firnas can be seen in many airports, bridges, mountains, parks, roads, and even Science organizations, especially in the Middle East. His name will always be remembered and even the name of one of the lunar impact craters on the far side of the Moon was named after him.
Source:
ADVERT
|
| Armilla sphere |
|
| Wright brothers |
ADVERT
Post a Comment
0 Comments