Soaring with Wings: Percy Pilcher wants to Fly- Biography

A new biography of Percy S. Pilcher and his four years of experimental flying. ISBN: 9781838056766 - dedicated to the late Dieter Dengler US Navy escaped pilot in the Vienam war.

His was the first escape from Laos in 1966. 171 pages profusely illustrated with many rare and interesting pictures and drawings. The book describes his flying at Auchensail, Wallaceton Cardross and in England.

There is a history of Cardross with a weather description for 1895 and 1896. His experimental work was influenced by Lilienthal, the great German aircraft pioneer, whom he met twice. He was also in contact with the Australian Hargrave, Octave Chanute in America and was employed by Hiram Maxim of Vickers machine-gun fame.

The Wright Brothers used his data when constructing the Wright Flyer. He displayed his Hawk, which killed him, at Kelvingrove Park and Prof Square, University of Glasgow. The Pilcher Hawk still exists today in Edinburgh.

Pilcher sailed his yachts on the Firth of Clyde and this aspect of his life is fully explored. His two yachts were Gleam and Widow. Gleam was built by the Herreshoff Brothers in America and Widow built by John Paul & Son, Gourock.

Herreshoff and John Paul are covered extensively in the appendix. John Herreshoff sailed on the Firth of Clyde out of Gourock and met Pilcher. Percy Sinclair Pilcher lectured at the University of Glasgow and some of his presentations are here described.

His sister was instrumental in building the wings and saw him fall to his death like Icarus in September 1899. His death is supported by the Coroner's report and conclusions. There is a profuse Bibliography and appendix.

Printed on high quality paper making it very heavy. Highly recommended in a very limited run.