Unpowered Aircraft
An unpowered aircraft is able to stay in the air for a prolonged period of time without onboard propulsion. The types of unpowered aircraft include gliders, hot air balloons, and kites. The first unpowered aircraft flight was in 1783 and done through a hot air balloon built by Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier in Annoy, France. A hot air balloon is made up for a bag called the envelope containing heated air. Suspended from it is a gondola or a wicker basket that carries passengers and a heat source. A glider has fixed wings and is supported while in flight by air rushing against its surfaces. Gliders are able to glide from one place another easily with full directional control.