Richard Pearse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard William Pearse
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Richard Pearse in 1903
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| Born | 3 December 1877 Waitohi Flat, South Canterbury, New Zealand
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| Died | 29 July 1953 (aged 75) |
| Nationality | British, Dominion of New Zealand |
| Other names | Dick "Aeroplane" Pearse, Bamboo Dick |
| Education | Waitohi Flat School and Upper Waitohi School |
| Occupation | Farmer, inventor |
| Known for | Pioneering flights in heavier-than-air aircraft |
| Relatives | Alfred Pearse Malcolm Sargent Edgar Francis Babst, RAF (cousin) |
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Richard William Pearse (born December 3, 1877, died July 29, 1953) was a clever farmer and inventor from New Zealand. He was one of the first people to experiment with flying machines. Many years later, people who saw him said he flew and landed a powered aircraft on March 31, 1903. This was nine months before the famous Wright brothers made their first flight!
Richard Pearse had many amazing ideas for his flying machines. These included a single-wing design (called a monoplane), special flaps on the wings, a steering part at the back, and a three-wheeled landing gear with a steerable front wheel. He even thought of propellers with blades that could change their angle.
After 1911, Pearse mostly stopped his early flying tests. But he kept inventing! From 1933, he worked on a "private plane for everyone." This was a foldable aircraft with one engine that could tilt its propeller to take off and land like a helicopter.
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Richard Pearse's Early Life and Inventions
Richard Pearse was born on December 3, 1877, in a place called Waitohi Flat in New Zealand. He was one of nine children. His parents, Digory and Sarah, were farmers. They made sure all their children learned to play music, and they even had a family orchestra! Richard played the cello. The family also enjoyed playing tennis.
Richard went to school at Waitohi Flat and Upper Waitohi. He loved to read and was always thinking about new technologies. A classmate, Peter Friel, remembered Richard coming to school with a cool toy. It was a small helicopter made from a tin can and a cotton reel. When he pulled a string, the rotor spun and flew out of sight! Peter said, "That’s how he got the start of that flying business!" Richard himself later said he had a "great fancy for engineering" since he was a little boy. He dreamed of inventing a flying machine.
Richard wanted to study engineering at university. However, his father had already spent money on his older brother's medical studies. So, when Richard was 21, his father gave him 100 acres of farmland. Here, Richard set up his own workshop. For the next 13 years, he worked on his ideas for bicycles, airplane engines, and flying machines, all while also farming sheep.
Building Flying Machines and Engines
People started noticing Richard Pearse's work on flying machines early on. Based on the evidence of his contemporaries, Pearse was working on his plane even before 1899.
Back then, it was impossible to buy light, powerful engines for airplanes. So, many inventors, including Pearse, had to build their own. Pearse later mentioned he made an engine around the time of the Boer War (1899-1902). He even got help from Cecil Wood, an engineer who knew a lot about building engines. Wood taught Pearse how to make spark plugs and design parts for his engines.
Pearse's first engine had two cylinders and was quite powerful. It could produce about 15 horsepower. This was enough power to lift a plane off the ground! The Wright brothers, for example, used a 12 horsepower engine for their first flights in 1903. Pearse later built an even more powerful four-cylinder engine.
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Pearse put his two-cylinder engine into his flying machine. This machine had three wheels and a wing made of fabric and bamboo. It looked a lot like modern airplanes, with a single wing (monoplane) and the propeller at the front. Many people who saw it said it didn't have a tail section.
Richard Pearse wasn't just interested in planes. In 1902, he invented a special bicycle with self-inflating tires! He even got a patent for this invention. People noticed his unique bicycle when he rode it in public in May 1903.
Richard Pearse's Flights
Many people remembered seeing Richard Pearse's flying machine. By the 1980s, researchers had found about 55 people who had seen his work. Some had seen him fly, others saw his plane being repaired, and some just heard it.
It's a bit tricky to know the exact dates of Pearse's first flights. Some witnesses thought it was in 1902, while others remembered a series of flights in 1903. After many years of research, historians generally agree that March 31, 1903, was likely the day Pearse made a witnessed flight.
First Public Flight Attempt: March 31, 1903
On March 31, 1903, Richard Pearse, with help from his brother Warne, pushed his airplane about 800 meters up a gravel road. A crowd of people gathered near the Upper Waitohi School to watch. After a few tries, the engine finally started. Volunteers held the plane back with boulders in front of the wheels.
When the engine was ready, the boulders were released, and the plane was pushed forward. It sped down the road, sounding like a "chaffcutter" (a farm machine). The plane then slowly lifted into the air, reaching a height of over 3 meters and flying at about 30 kilometers per hour. Witnesses later said the plane wobbled and pitched before swerving left and landing on top of a 4-meter-high gorse fence. People estimated the flight covered between 45 and 400 meters. Richard hurt his shoulder in the landing but was okay.
The next day, some witnesses told others about the flight. They were accused of making an April Fool's joke, which helped confirm the date was March 31. This event was seen by many people, including school students and a family named Bedford and Johnson. Historians believe this flight most likely happened on March 31, 1903.
This flight was special because it was one of the first successful attempts by a powered aircraft to take off from flat ground without special ramps or catapults. Another early flight was by Clément Ader in France in 1890, who flew about 50 meters.
Another Flight: The Paddock Circuits
John William Casey, who was seven years old in 1903, remembered another exciting event. News spread that there would be "another free show" at Pearse's farm. About 30 people gathered, and even Miss Crowley, a teacher, let her students out of school to watch.
Casey said that Pearse's machine took off from a raised part of the field. It rose about 18 meters high and flew around the field two and a half times, covering perhaps 2.4 kilometers. The flight lasted about ten minutes before landing on a gorse hedge. Casey even drew a picture of the takeoff and landing spots.
This flight must have happened before Miss Crowley left the area in September 1903. If Casey's story is completely accurate, this could have been the world's first controlled flight by a powered airplane! However, Pearse's brother, Warne, who helped him, never mentioned such an impressive flight.
The Opihi River Terrace Flight
Robert Mitchell Gibson, who was eight years old in 1903, had a very believable story about another flight. His older brother took him and other young people to help Pearse test his flying machine.
Pearse moved his machine with horses to a field above the Opihi River. After a first bumpy try, the boys helped Pearse get the machine ready again. This time, as the machine sped towards a cliff, it gained speed. It flew over the cliff and into the air, turning and flying up the river for about 800 meters before slowly going down. The boys ran to find a wet Pearse climbing out of the river!
Gibson was sure this flight happened during the Easter school holidays, around April 11, 1903. He remembered it was just before a huge snowstorm that year. This flight, where the plane went downwards along the river, is often called a "powered glide." Other people also recalled seeing Pearse try to fly off the Opihi River terrace.
Another Paddock Flight: May 2, 1903
Alexander Amos Martin was about 16 years old when he saw one of Pearse's flights. He and his father were working nearby when he spotted Pearse's unusual machine in a field. Pearse pushed his bamboo plane out of his shed, adjusted the steering, and started the engine.
The plane taxied for about 45 meters, then rose 3 to 4.6 meters into the air. It flew for another 45 meters before crashing into a large gorse fence. Martin remembered that Pearse "could not go any higher because he had no more Power." Martin was sure this happened on May 2, 1903, which was a Saturday and a payday.
Other Witness Accounts from 1903
Daisy Moore Crawford (later Mrs. McLean), born in 1892, remembered seeing Pearse's flying machine in the air. She was with her father on a hillside behind Pearse's farm. She said, "I can remember it lifting up and coming down, and veering towards the road where there was a gorse fence, and landed on the gorse fence." She was certain this happened on March 31, 1903.
Frank James Biggs, who was a school student in 1903, recalled his teacher telling the children that Pearse had flown. He thought the flight happened in late April or early May 1903.
Two sisters, Annie and Margaret Fraser, were filling sacks of potatoes on a hill when they heard Pearse's flying machine. They even joked about throwing potatoes at him if he flew their way!
Later Experiments and Inventions
Pearse kept working to achieve fully controlled flight. He added small "ailerons" (movable parts on the wings) to help steer the plane. However, his controls were placed in a way that might not have given him enough power to steer properly. In comparison, the Wright brothers used different methods to achieve full control of their aircraft.
Pearse's 1909 Flying Machine
In 1909, Pearse was in the newspapers again with a new, much larger flying machine. It had a powerful 24 horsepower engine. He later wrote that this plane would lift off the ground at 20 miles per hour. But it was so big and slow that it was hard to control and would spin around. He said, "So I never flew with my first experimental 'plane, but no one else did with their first for that matter."
The Otago Witness newspaper also noted in 1909 that Pearse was always inventing. They mentioned his idea for an improved spark plug, which was published in Scientific American magazine. This spark plug used engine pressure to create multiple sparks.
Pearse's work wasn't always clearly reported at the time. He didn't seem to care much about being famous, and because he lived in a remote part of New Zealand, he didn't get much public credit for his inventions during his lifetime.
Later Life and Final Inventions
Around 1911, Pearse moved to Milton in Otago and stopped his flying experiments because the area was too hilly. Much of his old equipment was thrown away. However, he continued to invent new things. He later moved to Christchurch in the 1920s.
Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Pearse worked on building a tilt-rotor flying machine for his own use. It was sometimes described as a mix between a windmill and a rubbish cart! This design was like a helicopter or autogyro, with a propeller that could tilt and wings that could fold. He wanted it to be able to drive on the road like a car and also fly, so it could be stored in a normal garage.
In 1951, when he was 73, Richard Pearse became unwell in his later years and needed special care. He passed away two years later. Researchers believe that many of his important papers were lost or destroyed around that time.
Richard Pearse's Legacy and Recognition
After Pearse passed away in 1953, his belongings were going to be sold or thrown away. Luckily, an auctioneer named George Anderson offered Pearse's unique tilt-rotor convertiplane to the Canterbury Aero Club. The club's chief flying instructor, Harry Walker, bought it for a small amount of money in 1954 to save it from being scrapped. He also rescued and sorted through Pearse's remaining papers.
Later, another aviation pioneer named George Bolt saw Pearse's machine. Bolt became very interested and started researching Pearse's life and inventions. In the 1950s and 1960s, Bolt found evidence that Pearse had flown in 1903, including people who had moved away by 1904 but still remembered the events. This research helped bring Richard Pearse's amazing work to light.
During the filming of a TV show in the 1970s, a copy of Pearse's early plane was tied to a horse. When the horse ran, the pilotless plane actually flew steadily for a good distance before landing! Everyone was surprised, showing that his design could indeed fly. Unfortunately, the cameras weren't recording at that moment.
Uncertainty About Flight Dates
In 1958, researcher George Bolt thought he had found clear proof that Pearse flew on March 31, 1903. But then, two letters written by Pearse himself were found. In these letters, from 1915 and 1928, Pearse said he started his experiments in "about March, 1904," after the Wright brothers. This made things confusing!
Later, researchers realized that Pearse might have seen his early "hops" and short flights as just small steps. He was aiming for something bigger: full control and navigation in the air. So, he might not have counted his earlier attempts as "flights" in the same way.
Today, many historians, including Gordon Ogilvie, believe that the first publicly witnessed takeoff likely happened on March 31, 1903. The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) in Auckland also agrees with this date for Pearse's first witnessed powered takeoff.
Some aviation historians disagree. They point to Pearse's 1909 newspaper interview where he said he "did not attempt anything practical with the idea until, in 1904." They also claim that the witnesses from 1902-1903 were not named or didn't remember dates correctly. However, Gordon Ogilvie's book lists 48 named eyewitnesses who personally saw Pearse's aircraft and flight attempts. Many of these witnesses could accurately date their memories based on public records. Their stories are kept in the Walsh Memorial Library in Auckland.
What Does "Flight" Mean?
The word "flight" can mean different things, which has caused some debate. Some researchers define it simply as a powered flying machine being airborne for any short time. But early aviators like the Wright brothers thought of flight as being able to fly for a long time, with full control, and being able to steer to a specific place.
Pearse also had his own ideas about flight. He believed a plane should take off from flat ground using its own wheels, without any ramps or catapults. The Wright brothers, however, used launching rails and a catapult for their first flights.
In 1915, Pearse wrote that inventing the airplane was a team effort, not just one person's idea. He said the Wright brothers got credit for making the first successful flights because they were the first to truly succeed with a motor-driven airplane.
In 1928, Pearse wrote about his own early plane. He said it would lift off the ground at 20 miles per hour. But because it was so big and slow, it was "uncontrollable" and would spin around. He admitted, "So I never flew with my first experimental 'plane, but no one else did with their first for that matter."
In 2003, many groups around the world celebrated 100 years of flight, honoring all the pioneers who worked on airplanes.
Richard Pearse's Lasting Impact
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At the start of the 20th century, many inventors in different countries were trying to achieve powered flight. Richard Pearse was one of them. He made good progress towards controlled flight. However, his designs and achievements were not widely known outside of the few people who saw them. Because of this, his work didn't directly influence other airplane designers at the time.
Today, the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) in Auckland has Pearse's last airplane, the tilt-rotor convertiplane. They also have his 25 horsepower four-cylinder engine, a metal propeller, his powercycle, and other original items. The museum also displays a flying machine built for a 1975 TV show, based on Pearse's patent and witness descriptions.
The South Canterbury Museum in Timaru has exhibits about Pearse and his contributions to early aviation.
The Pleasant Point Museum and Railway displays original parts from Pearse's engine and other items.
The South Canterbury Aviation Heritage Centre at Richard Pearse Airport in Timaru also has exhibits about Pearse. This includes copies of his earliest flying machine and experimental two-cylinder engines.
There is a special memorial for Richard Pearse in Waitohi, South Canterbury, where he made his flight attempts.
In the town of Wānaka, there used to be tiles on the sidewalk by the lake that listed important historical events. The tile for 1903 said that the first powered flight happened in Timaru, and also mentioned the Wright Brothers flying that year. These tiles were removed in 2019.
See also
- List of firsts in aviation
- Harry Houdini: The Aviator — Houdini's flight at Diggers Rest, Friday, March 18, 1910.
