Chūhachi Ninomiya

Chūhachi Ninomiya (二宮 忠八, Ninomiya Chūhachi, 20 June 1866 – 8 April 1936) was a Japanese aviation pioneer. He is remembered for his unique aircraft designs - the "Karasu-gata mokei hikouki" ("Crow-type model aircraft", 1891) and the "Tamamushi-gata hikouki" ("Jewel beetle type flyer", 1893). He designed a flying machine with three engines earlier than the Wright brothers, and, even though the machine failed to take off, it contributed to Japan's accumulation of capabilities to design and manufacture aircraft by the 1930s.