Hiram Maxim built a steam powered aircraft and conducted tethered tests in 1894, reaching speeds of up to 42 miles per hour. During one test his aircraft was so powerful that it broke free of the restraining rails and flew a few feet above the rails for 200 yards with Maxim and a few assistants aboard. It was not able to fly in any controlled fashion though, sources saying that the flight it took involved in careening out of control for 200 yards. Compared to the Wright Flyer, Maxim's steam powered aircraft had three times the power to weight ratio, and also did not require powerful wind gusts to become airborne. His aircraft was also expected to be able to carry a fairly significant payload, far more than the Wright Flyer. It was technically superior to the Wright Flyer in every way except control. Maxim's machine would have had a payload higher than many World War I bomber aircraft and would have been more readily useful for military, airmail, and (for those thrill seekers) passenger flights. Assuming Maxim had been able to devise some kind of control surface and make an aircraft capable of maneuvering in flight, how would early aviation have played out? Would the early aircraft prevent the development of the airship, or would the airship prematurely kill the flying machine in this timeline? Sources: FLYING MACHINES - Hiram Stevens Maxim No. 1738: Maxim's Airplane The Pioneers : An Anthology : Sir Hiram Maxim (1840 - 1916)