No.5 Challenge to the first flight

After Koukichi decided to try to fly, he began to study how to fly like a pigeon in the sky. In those days many craftsmen worked from 8 AM. till 7 PM.. Accordingly, it was night-time when Koukichi designed and studied about flight.
Koukichi wanted his valuable time for his studies, so he performed his task seriously.

He worked very hard from morning till evening every day. Then lots of people estimated that Koukichi grew up into the first class mounting craftsman.

Manbei, Koukichi's uncle, his master, was gratified with Koukichi's job. Manbei had known that Koukichi was researching something. But,
Koukichi performed his all tasks perfectly, Manbei did not dissuade Koukichi from researching.

Koukichi studied how to make the wings like a bird. As the first step of his study, he tried to examine a wing of a pigeon in detail. He set a trap for the pigeon on the garden of Renshouji, and trapped a pigeon.

Koukichi returned his room in a hurry, and he has been holding the pigeon. Yasaku found Koukichi and a pigeon, so he was surprised. And Yasaku said Koukichi loudly, "Really ? Did you really trap a pigeon?
You really want to fly, don't you ? Well, Okay, I will help you !".
Koukichi said, " Hey ! Please speak in a low voice ! But, I'm very glad to help your assist ".

Koukichi examined figure of pigeon and form, area and weight of wing and feather in detail. In addition, he dissected a pigeon, and he tried to explain the structure of flap. Leonardo da Vinci dissected the birds. Koukichi dissected a pigeon as well. Then Koukichi was a man of extraordinary action.

Koukichi calculated an area of the wing which was necessary for so that a human can fly. In addition, he designed the form of wings.

His next theme was how to move the wings like a pigeon. Every early morning, Koukichi went to the temple. He observed pigeons and recorded them how to flap the wing, and how to fly up in detail. At last, he finished to design the mechanism which moved right and left wings at the same time. The plan which would realize his dream was completed.

But Koukichi had a hard problem to find the testing place. In those days, all people believed that flying object were only dragons and Tengu, a long-nosed goblin, except for birds and insects. Anyone did not want to fly. Everyone believed that if they did such a thing, they would be punished by Heaven. And if his flight plan leaked out, his challenge would be broken. Then he decided the testing place and the time. The testing place was Hachihama where he was born, and the time was the Festival of Souls in August.

He designed the wings which were assembly small parts. Every night,
Koukichi and Yasaku made the wings. The frame of these wings was made from bamboo and strings. And the cover of wings was made of the waterproof paper named "Tosagami".

At last, their wings had been completed. The wings were separated 4 pieces of small parts. Then Koukichi and Yasaku wrapped these parts in large warping clothes. Next day, they went to Hachihama with large warping cloths by boat from a port where was at the Asahigawa River.

As soon as they arrived at Hachihama, Yasaku visited to his friend,
Tamon Ozaki, the son of the Shinto priest. Yasaku requested his help.

Tamon could understand Koukichi's wish. Tamon agreed with Yasaku, and he lent his room to assemble wings. Immediately, Koukichi started the preparation for their first challenge. The span of assembled wings was about 5.4 meters, the length of body was about 1.8 meters.

Koukichi stood in halfway of stone steps of the Shinto shrine with large wings. The wind was fair. Koukichi felt the power of wind at his both arms. Koukichi thought he could fly.

Koukichi jumped with his strong shout "Yaah!". Koukichi inclined his body to the front. He flew down about 3 meters, then his right wing was broken with a tremendous crash suddenly. Koukichi felt that it was a longer distance and longer time in the sky. Koukichi would move up and down his arms and flap their wings. But height and time were so short that he cannot flap. He thought if he flew down from the higher place, he could get the time for flying. So he climbed the upmost stone step of Shinto shrine without seeing Tamon and Yasaku who were worried.

The upmost stone step of Shinto shrine about 60m in height of the top of Futago mountain. koukichi ran five steps powerfully and kicked the ground at the moment that power of wind to his wings was greater. But he had dropped down on the stone step. Tamon and Yasaku were very surprised at this sight. The wing and mechanism had been broken which Koukichi designed very hard. And, Koukichi had fracture his left leg.

He failed. Tamon and Yasaku seriously advised Koukichi to not try to fly again. But, Koukichi did not give up even in only one failure.

Yasaku burned the broken wings in a garden of Shinto shrine.
Koukichi stolidly endured his injury, and he had been thinking about the cause of his failure calmly. He was gazing at the burning wings.

Next morning, Koukichi went on board the boat to return to Okayama with Yasaku. Koukichi leaned against the edge of boat, and he looked up at the sky that several eagles had been flying over Hachihama.

He was thinking so deeply about why he could not fly. A pigeon could fly, but he could not. Then one idea flashed into his mind.


Some eagles could fly without flapping. These eagless glided with fixed wing, so as to cut the air. Koukichi noticed new method to challenge to fly like an eagle.

And, Koukichi was confident that his challenge would get on success. The pupil of Koukichi's eye had been brightened more than sunlight of midsummer.