Richard Pearse’s monoplane

Richard Pearse’s monoplane resembled a modern-day microlight. Witness accounts suggest he flew it before the Wright brothers flew theirs. This monoplane is a replica from the South Canterbury Museum in Timaru.

There is evidence that Richard Pearse did not achieve controlled flight before the Wright brothers in 1903. See a report from the Timaru Post dated 17 November 1909. www.stuff.co.nz/national/6799761/Pearse-flew-long-after-Wrights