To be a practical, a flying machine must be able to take off unaided under its own power, negotiate a predetermined course and land in a fit state to re-ascend unassisted: the cellular biplane built by Gabriel and Charles Voisin for Henry Farman in 1907 was the first aeroplane to meet those criteria. This illustrated study of the Voisin-Farman venture describes both their technological ingenuity and the cultural ramifications of early flight – not least the rivalry between Europe and America.