Peter Charles wrote:

... Also in that book is
a picture of Sir Hiram Maxim's aircraft built in 1894 that he
apparently flew while it was constrained by rails. It reportedly left
the ground by two feet, the first powered flight. ...

And all this time I thought it was the Wright Brothers
who did that. What else was in that Brit book, that
water was invented by Sir Aitchtwo Oh ? ;-)

--
Ken Fortenberry