Aeroplane: the whole path

1
Tools & MakingI
Stone Tools
The first cutting edge
3.3 Mya
2
Fire & ShelterI
Control of Fire
Light, heat and cooked food
1 Mya
3
Materials & ChemistryII
Pottery
Clay turned to stone by fire
18,000 years ago
needs 2
4
Materials & ChemistryII
Charcoal
Wood cooked slowly under earth
c. 4,500 BCE
needs 1, 2
5
Land TransportII
Wheel & Axle
Rolling instead of dragging
c. 3,500 BCE
needs 1
6
Materials & ChemistryII
Leather Tanning
Raw hide, oak bark and months in pits
c. 1,500 BCE
needs 1, 2
7
Materials & ChemistryIII
Bronze
Copper and tin, harder together
c. 3,300 BCE
needs 2, 3, 4
8
Materials & ChemistryIII
Iron Smelting
Wider adoption around 1200 BCE; ore, charcoal and a bloomery
c. 1,200 BCE
needs 4, 7
9
Materials & ChemistryIII
Steel
Iron with just enough carbon
c. 1,000 BCE
needs 4, 8
10
MechanicsIII
Gears
Teeth that trade speed for force
c. 300 BCE
needs 7
11
Energy & Prime MoversIII
Water Wheel
A river turned into work
c. 300 BCE
needs 5, 10
12
MechanicsIII
Piston Pump
Water raised by valve and piston
c. 270 BCE
needs 6, 7
13
Materials & ChemistryIII
Distillation
Separating liquids by boiling and condensing
c. 300
needs 2, 3
14
Energy & Prime MoversIV
Steam Engine
Heat turned into motion
1712
needs 8, 10, 12
15
Electricity & ElectronicsIV
Battery
Chemistry that pushes a current
1800
needs 7
16
Electricity & ElectronicsIV
Electric Generator
Motion turned into current
1831
needs 8, 15
17
Energy & Prime MoversIV
Water Turbine
Falling water turned into electricity
1827
needs 9, 11, 16
18
Energy & Prime MoversV
Internal Combustion Engine
Small explosions, steady power
1876
needs 8, 9, 13, 14
19
Materials & ChemistryV
Aluminium
Alumina turned into metal by electricity
1886
needs 16, 17
20
AeronauticsV
Aeroplane
Lift, thrust and control
1903
Goal · needs 18, 19