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Twin Branches on flying's family tree From Orville Wright's first flight, 120 feet in 12 seconds, to modern supersonic planes, aviation advances have followed two main paths: (1) better engines and aircraft; (2)better fuels and lubricants. Basically, the Wrights succeeded because they applied the internal combustion engine to a correctly designed air frame, and because they had an efficient, portable power source-gasoline. This combination is fundamental to powered flight. From it have grown all aviation improvements-in aircraft, engines, fuels. Keeping pace with these advances, Shell has continued to develop finer fuels for the Age of Flight. Shell Aviation Fuel carries the most passengers, most air mail and most freight in the United States today. 1903 Wright Brothers make first flight as Kitty-hawk, prove practicality of heavier-than-air, engine-powered plane. Aviation advances: 1909 Louis Bleriot, using Shell aviation "spirits," crosses the English Channel-flies from Calais to Dover in 31 minutes. 1919 NC-4 makes first Atlantic Crossing. Later in year, Alcock and Brown fly non-stop from Newfoundland to Ireland, using Shell products. 1924 Kelly Act authorizes air mail contracts-and stimulates the growth of airports in U.S.A. 1926 Air Commerce Act authorizes establishment, operation, and maintenance of air navigation facilities. 1927 Lindbergh crosses the Atlantic non-stop-makes solo flight, New York to Paris, in 33 hours 30 minutes. 1941 Quantity production of jet engine, designed by Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, begins. 1947 Capt. Charles Yeager cracks the sonic barrier in rocket-powered Air Force research plane. 1952 Air transport enters the Jet Age with regularly scheduled passenger flights. Fuel advances: 1914 Shell begins volume manufacture of aviation fuel-supplies every gallon used by Allies from start of World War I to 1917. 1919 Shell begins the pioneer research which proves anti-knock superiority of cracked gasolines, formerly believed inferior. 1922 Discovery of tetraethyl lead makes light weight, high-compression engines practical. 1930 Engine and fuel manufacturers adopt the octane rating scale. 1934 Shell delivers iso-octane to Air Force in first commercial quantities. Cost, once $25 a gallon, reduced to 71 cents. 1939 Development of catalytic cracking makes high quality aviation fuel available at a price comparable to automotive gasoline. 1942 Cumene, a fuel additive developed by Shell, made available to entire industry. Result: a 20% increase in production of 100-octane gasoline during the '42-'43 period. 1950 Shell developed additive TCP* increases efficiency of aircraft engines by counteracting effect of engine deposits. PROGRESS SECURITY 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF POWERED FLIGHT 50 Years of Progress in Powered Flight 1903-1953 SHELL *Patent applied for