The Wright Brothers And Their Invention
The Wright Brothers were incredible. They figured out that our world would desperately need airplanes later on. Airplanes are used for many purposes. We use them for travel, Air Force, NASA experiments, and sometimes just for fun. This invention was just the thing the world was waiting for.
The Wright Brothers had unique and creative minds unlike many. They loved to make and play with toys everywhere. Once their father gave the brothers a helicopter (a toy stick that twists and flies). This sparked an idea in their minds; they wanted to create something just like the toy they played with. Once during school, Orville was caught working on the small toy helicopter or airplane. Then, he told his teacher that one day he was going to make a larger one that could fly with him in it.
The brothers needed to learn how to create lift on the plane and be able to control such a large machine. They started spending a lot of time studying birds and how they fly smoothly. They saw that the birds' wings are rigid and curved at an angle to the wind. Also, they learned that to create lift they must pull the wings up. It taught them that the tail was important, and that it should be used as an "elevator" to gain height. This inspired them to believe that they could do the same with an airplane.
They studied and learned a lot about aviation, so they began to invent. But, there was one problem, they now needed money. They set up a bike shop in their hometown in 1892. The bike shop became popular in America. Both brothers became excellent in bike mechanics. They sold, repaired, designed, and manufactured their own custom-made bikes. The shop lasted from 1892-1907 and it funded their flight research. The brothers invented the airplane concept during the process of the bike shop. They now officially had many ideas for the design of their airplane. They even had a start on their first engine.
They first built many smaller models and then they started in the field of aviation. After Otto Lilienthal, another airplane inventor at their time, flew his glider, the brothers were motivated to build a plane that had a self-automatic engine. Then they searched the libraries for any information on flying. They read about Samuel Langley and others. The research taught them that flying an airplane must be done in the air and not in a laboratory. However, they already had one perfect model, the bird.
They first built many smaller models and then they started in the field of aviation. After Otto Lilienthal, another airplane inventor at their time, flew his glider, the brothers were motivated to build a plane that had a self-automatic engine. Then they searched the libraries for any information on flying. They read about Samuel Langley and others. The research taught them that flying an airplane must be done in the air and not in a laboratory. However, they already had one perfect model, the bird.
The Wright Brothers figured out that the key to the pilot's success was that they needed a three-axis control system. This control system has a lateral balance, a movable rudder, and an elevator (which is the up and down movement of the airplane that changes the pitch control).
After studying for a few years they started building. They curved the wings just like a birds' wings are and they built the tail with an elevator to gain height during flight. They had already built many gliders and they were very experienced with the complicated controls. Finally, they had the perfect plane after perfecting it for over a year. The plane weighed 700 pounds, mostly because of the engine. It was December 17, 1903 and it was windy (20-25 miles per hour), perfect for their first flight. They met at Kitty Hawk Beach, North Carolina. The inventors flew four consecutive flights, all of which were quite successful. The best of the four flights covered approximately 852 feet in 59 seconds. It was officially the first, heavier than air, invention that was controlled with a pilot aboard. However, only two newspapers reported about the event. Some suspected that the Wright brothers were lying or that they faked the flight. After discovering this, the brothers simply flew the airplane with a crowd watching.
The word spread around fast. The Wright brothers became well known for the first airplane in the world. In 1909, President Theodore Roosevelt paid them to build planes for the U.S. army until 1912 when Wilbur died. He died of a disease called typhoid fever when he was only 45 years old. Orville eventually sold the share and retired. He died on January 30, 1948. Their legacy has influence the world of aviation forever.