Forget Kitty Hawk: the real “first in flight” happened in Kentucky

Matthew Sellers’ Revolutionary Retractable Landing Gear in Kentucky

While the Wright Brothers got all the fame, a rich man from Baltimore was making air history in the hills of Kentucky. Matthew Sellers built his own wind tunnel in 1903, then moved on to kites and gliders.

By December 1908, he had made something special – a light plane with bicycle wheels that pulled up after takeoff. This wasn’t just any plane.

It was the first in Kentucky and had the world’s first retractable landing gear.

The story of this flying marvel comes alive at the Aviation Museum of Kentucky, where you can see a full-size replica of the aircraft that put Kentucky on the aviation map.

The Merchant’s Son Who Dreamed of Flying

Matthew Bacon Sellers Jr. was born March 29, 1869, in Baltimore to a rich merchant family with Kentucky roots.

In 1888, his mother Angelina bought mountain land near Grahn, Kentucky, where they built a country home called “Blakemore.”

Matthew got a good technical education and became fascinated with flight. While other kids wanted normal jobs, Matthew looked at the sky and wondered how people could fly.

He Built Wind Tunnels When Others Still Rode Horses

In 1903, the same year the Wright Brothers flew in North Carolina, Sellers made his own breakthrough.

He built a wind tunnel on his Kentucky property and became the first person to correctly measure the lift and drift of curved surfaces.

This wasn’t just playing around, it was serious science in rural Kentucky. Sellers even brought the first electricity to that part of Carter County for his tests.

From Paper Kites to Hot Air Adventures

Sellers started small with kite tests, watching how they moved in different winds. He then tried hot-air balloons, studying how they rose and fell as temperatures changed.

Each step grew his knowledge of air movement. He took notes, made changes, and learned from mistakes.

Unlike many inventors then, Sellers used strict science in his work.

Four Wings Are Better Than Two

By 1907, Sellers moved beyond toys to full-size gliders that could carry a person. His most interesting design used four wings stacked on top of each other, called a quadruplane.

This wasn’t the typical two-wing setup most early flyers used. Sellers found his four-wing design gave more lift without adding much weight.

His gliders stayed stable even without an engine.

Kentucky Joins the Wright Brothers in Aviation History

On December 28, 1908, Sellers made Kentucky aviation history. That cold winter day, he attached a tiny 7-horsepower engine to his four-wing glider.

The machine started up, and powered flight came to Kentucky. Sellers made 16 separate flights that day.

This happened just five years after the Wright Brothers’ famous flight.

While most Americans still wondered about flying machines, Kentucky already had its own aviation pioneer making regular flights.

The Bicycle Mechanic’s Trick That Changed Aviation

Sellers’ plane wasn’t just Kentucky’s first, it had features years ahead of its time. His quadruplane became known as the world’s lightest airplane.

Most impressive were the bicycle wheels he used as landing gear, which pulled up into the aircraft after takeoff.

This was the world’s first retractable landing gear, something that wouldn’t become common on planes for decades. Sellers realized wheels hanging below created drag, so he made them disappear during flight.

A Seven-Horsepower Wonder Takes to the Skies

The technical achievements in Sellers’ airplane seem almost impossible now.

He got a person and machine into the air using just 7 horsepower, less power than many modern lawnmowers. His four-wing design created maximum lift with minimal materials.

The pull-up landing gear cut drag once the plane was in the air. Every ounce and surface had a purpose in his design.

Longer Flights Show Kentucky’s Aviation Promise

Sellers kept improving his designs. By 1910, he regularly flew over 1,000 feet across the Kentucky countryside.

Each flight taught him something new about aircraft control. He tracked data from every test, using the information to make his next flight better.

Word spread about the flying machine in the Kentucky mountains, and Sellers gained respect among the growing community of American flyers.

A Deadly Propeller Ends the Dream

Kentucky aviation took a tragic turn in October 1911.

Sellers’ helper, Link Binion, was getting the aircraft ready for another test flight when something went wrong. Binion walked into the spinning propeller and died instantly.

The accident happened during what should have been normal preparation. The death shocked everyone involved in Sellers’ aviation work.

The Pioneer Walks Away From His Creation

The accident crushed Sellers. Upset by Binion’s death, he packed up and left Kentucky right away.

He never went back to regular flying after the tragedy. The man who spent years pushing flight boundaries couldn’t go on after seeing its deadly side.

Sellers turned to theory work instead of actual flying. The workshops went quiet, and the quadruplane never flew again over Kentucky hills.

Students Rebuild What History Almost Forgot

Matthew Sellers might have faded completely from memory if not for some dedicated Kentuckians. In 1976, students at Carter County Vocational School built a full-size replica of Sellers’ groundbreaking quadruplane.

Today, visitors to the Aviation Museum of Kentucky can see this remarkable recreation. The replica shows the ingenious design that put Kentucky on the aviation map decades before most people realize.

The bicycle wheels, four-wing configuration, and lightweight construction all testify to the brilliance of a man who saw possibilities others missed in the Kentucky hills.

Visiting Aviation Museum of Kentucky, Lexington

The Aviation Museum of Kentucky at Blue Grass Airport showcases Matthew Sellers’ groundbreaking work building Kentucky’s first airplane with retractable landing gear.

You’ll find the museum at 4029 Airport Road, open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm and Sunday 1pm-5pm. Admission costs $10 for adults and $5 for kids 6-16.

The 20,000 square foot space features military aircraft like the A-4 Skyhawk and F-14 Tomcat, plus interactive flight simulators where you can try piloting planes yourself.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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