William Samuel Henson
1812-1888

William Henson was an engineer and inventor who got into aviation because of the works of a man named George Cayley.  Henson was an industrialist in the lace making business in Somerset, England.  In 1840, along with his associate John Stringfellow, Henson designed a steam powered airplane named the "Ariel-The Henson Aerial Steam Carriage".

The Ariel had a wingspan of 150 feet and was patented in 1842.  There were many attempts made to fly this machine between 1844 and 1847, but they were all unsuccessful.  The construction of the wings of the Ariel set a pattern, and all the planes up to World War One used this style of wing.  The design of the Ariel was the first known "modern" monoplane design because it had landing gear and was powered by a propeller with six blades.  The surface area of the plane was 4,500 square feet, and the tail which was quite bird like was 1,500 square feet.  The power of the plane was to be driven by a steam engine of 25 to 30 horse-power.   Although the Ariel never flew it was remembered forever as one of the strongest designs in aeronautical history.

Henson and Stringfellow had planned on creating the Aerial Transit Company, which would have been the first international airline the world would ever see.  Very detailed plans were made for the Ariel and for the Aerial Transit Company.  Henson had pictures drawn of the Transit Company and the Ariel in flight in such places as India, Egypt, London, and China.  He had hoped that this would make people believe in his design and not think that it was a hoax.  The company that supplied the patent for The Aeriel Transit Company really raved about the flying machine, they made it sound like the Ariel was more advanced than it really was.  "The invention has been subjected to several tests and examinations and the results are most satisfactory so much so that nothing but hte completion of the undertaking is required to determine its practical operation."
 
 

By: Mandy Randleman