Nikola Tesla

“ The flying machine has materialized-not through leaps and bounds of invention but by progress slow and imperceptible, not through original individual effort, but by a combination of the same forces which brought forth the automobile and the motorboat. It is due to the enterprise of the steel, oil, electrical, and other concerns, who have been instrumental in the improvement of materials of construction and in the production of high-power fuels, as well as to the untiring labors of the army of skilled but unknown mechanics who have been for years perfecting the internal combustion engine. ”

“ By surrounding that old device with an atmosphere of mystery one gives life and interest to the report; but the plain fact is that all forms of aerial apparatus are well known to engineers, and can be designed for any specific duty without previous trials and with a fair degree of accuracy. ”

“ We have very closely what we may expect from the ultimate perfection of the internal combustion engine, the resistances which are to be overcome, and the limitations of the screw propeller. The margin is not very great. For many reasons the wireless transmission of power is the only perfect and lasting solution of the problem of aerial navigation. ”