Wright Brothers Patent for the Flying Machine
This is the , or as it was referred to in Wilbur and Orville Wright鈥檚 patent, the Flying Machine. One of America鈥檚 most important inventions, the Wright Flyer was a breakthrough in aviation that established the basis for aircraft control that is still used today on fixed-wing aircraft. The Wright brothers made their first successful flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft on December 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, NC. This first historic flight lasted 12 seconds.
Wilbur and Orville Wright were brothers from Dayton, OH, who had no education beyond high school. They were largely self-taught engineers who ran a bicycle shop, worked with various kinds of motors, and also ran a printing press. Harnessing the power of flight was a question people around the world had been trying to answer since before the 1850s. The Wright brothers became especially involved in the research and development of a flying machine towards the end of the 19th century.
The first Wright airplane developed out of progressively successful gliders between 1900 and 1902. In 1903, the brothers built the using spruce, ash wood, muslin, and a 12 horsepower engine. After the first flight of 12 seconds, three more test flights were conducted. The last flight was piloted by Wilbur, covering over 800 feet and lasting 59 seconds.
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