The flying cathedral william cody biography

American aviator

Samuel Franklin Cowdery (later known as Samuel Franklin Cody; 6 March 1867 – 7 August 1913, born Davenport, Iowa, USA^[1]) was a Wild West showman and early pioneer of manned flight.

He is most famous for his work on the large kites known as Cody War-Kites, that were used by the British before World War I as a smaller alternative to balloons for artillery spotting. He was also the first man to fly an aeroplane built in Britain, on 17 October 1908.^[2][3] A flamboyant showman, he was often confused with Buffalo Bill Cody,^[4] whose surname he took when young.

the flying cathedral william cody biography4 WIQA