How did the first aeroplane work?

As the 20th century dawned, Kress had ready a design for a water borne plane. In 1893, Kress had designed the large "Wing-Flapping Flying Machine," whose wings were to have a total surface area of 904 square feet and the "car" (fuselage) 32 feet long.

As the wings flapped, the angle of incidence was to change, with the greatest postive angle of incidence (3 degrees) on the upstroke. Then in1903 his step-winged three-surface monoplane with a large horizontal tail and large rudders was built.

The flying machine's floats lacked a "step," so preventing the machine lifting from the surface of the Tullnerbacher reservoir, where the trials were conducted Also, the 30 h.p. Daimler gasoline engine, which drove two very large contra-rotating cloth-covered propellers, was not up to the task of lifting the massive machine.