Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 July 2016
The Short brothers were pioneers in the true sense of the word. They were inspired by the vision of flight and had the driving force while still in their early twenties to build and fly their own balloons (Refs. 1, 2). Through their practical skill and thoroughness they were soon making balloons for other enthusiasts, including the Hon. C. S. Rolls, a co-founder of my Company. Horace Short, the Hon. C. S. Rolls and Griffith Brewer are seen with the Wright brothers in the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost in 1908 (Fig. 1).
For centuries man had dreamed of flying. Kites, gliders, balloons and ornithopters were built but none achieved sustained controlled flight until the brilliant practical experimental work of the Wright brothers brought success in 1903. Some gloomy predictions of eminent academics were thus confounded.