born Dec. 27, 1773, Scarborough, Yorkshire, Eng.
died Dec. 15, 1857, Brompton, Yorkshire
British pioneer of aerial navigation and founder of the science of aerodynamics .
By 1799 he had established the basic configuration of the modern airplane . He built his first model glider in 1804, and in 1809 he published his groundbreaking aerodynamic research. Further research into the effects of streamlining, stability, and wing design led to his construction of the first full-size glider, which flew briefly in 1853. Cayley also invented the caterpillar tractor (1825) and founded a polytechnic school in London (1839).