cddstamps on stamps

my thoughts on stamps, stamp collecting, philately in general and maybe a few other topics !

Tuesday, June 18, 2013



Tonight  Lawrence Hargrave just because I came across an envelope with a few of these in it and thought you might enjoy this one, and a little about the man.  An Englishman, born in Greenwich who emigrated to Australia with his parents when he was 15.  Got to have some English recognition for this remarkable man :-)  As you may know he had a lot to do with the invention of the flying machine, as in the box kite at the time. 
He is quoted as saying ..”The flying machine of the future will not be born fully fledged and capable of a flight for 1000 miles or so. Like everything else it must be evolved gradually. The first difficulty is to get a thing that will fly at all. When this is made, a full description should be published as an aid to others. Excellence of design and workmanship will always defy competition….    he did not patent anything he invented, I think I am right in saying that… How times change.!!
His inventions included the box kite in 1893, which greatly improved the lift to drag ratio of early gliders, curved aerofoils, particularly designs with a thicker leading edge and his work on the rotary engine which powered many early aircraft up until about 1920.
Of great significance to those pioneers working toward powered flight, Hargrave successfully lifted himself off the ground under a train of four of his box kites at Stanwell Park Beach (south of Sydney, Australia)  on 12 November 1894.  Really interesting man and you can read more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Hargrave
Or just enjoy the stamp. copies of which are of course is in my Bidstart Store :-)  

Best wishes..   Michael  www.cddstamps.com

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