Lilienthal's Glider

Lilienthal's Glider is an aviation pioneer's masterpiece that embodies humanity's age-old dream of flying like a bird.

From the myths of Icarus and the feathered wings, to Leonardo da Vinci's ingenious yet unrealized flying machines, soaring into the sky has always been a fleeting dream of mankind.

Imagine a bright, cloudless morning where a small group of people stand at the foot of the Prussian artificial mountain. On its summit, 50 feet high, a man stands proudly with a strange wing-shaped contraption made of wood and canvas attached to his shoulders. He then accelerates into the wind and takes flight after a few feet of running!

Although the English scientist Sir George Cayley conducted the first manned glider flight in 1853, Otto Lilienthal is the world's recognized first successful aviator, having completed over 2,000 safe flights before his death in a crash in 1896. In the years before these extraordinary flights, Lilienthal studied the flight of birds and their wing structures to investigate how objects heavier than air could take flight, publishing "Bird Flight as the Basis of Aviation" in 1889. His in-depth and meticulous research influenced later aviators, including the Wright Brothers, and his death further motivated them to take action to soar into the sky.

A 1/32 scale wood-fiber model kit of Lilienthal's Glider is now available. Without the need for tools or glue, you can transform flat panels into a three-dimensional masterpiece. Assembling the kit not only appeals to our logic and curiosity but also allows you to actively participate in the creation process in a novel and fascinating way. This would make a lovely creative gift for teens and adults who can learn by doing and playing while working with their hands. Made from an eco-friendly, dense board that is processed from recycled sawdust, the kit also comes with a beautiful display stand.

"Otto Lilienthal "Germany’s Glider King"

Otto Lilienthal, a German aeronautical engineer, focused his attention on hang gliders, ushered in an age of what some called “Manflight.”