Hello! I’m Amatullah Bohra, an Aero-Enthusiast who has a passion for STEM. I’ve crafted this blog about the first Human Flight and the 2 brilliant minds behind it. Enjoy reading!
Orville and Wilbur Wright are the 2 geniuses behind the great invention of airplane. They created the first ever Heavier-than-Air powered aircraft in 1903.
So, who exactly are the Wright Brothers?
Born in the U.S, the owners of a small printing business in the mid-1880(s) which then grew to become the Evening Item in 1890. Later in 1899, the Wrights sold their printing business and started The Wright Cycle Company, and this is where the Wright brothers began their journey in building the first airplane. Their bicycle business provided them with valuable knowledge and experience for the engineering of an airplane.
The Research which Established Aviation.
In a period of 6 years, from 1899 to 1905, the Wright brothers launched the first airplane in 1903 and an enhanced and practical airplane two years later.
It all began on May 30, 1899, when Wilbur Wright wrote a letter to the Smithsonian regarding the possibilities of human flight, and asked for any resource the Smithsonian might have that would benefit the Wrights’ research. The Smithsonian then recommended Progress in Flying Machines by Octave Chanute and The Aeronautical Annuals. These recommendations ended up being the most useful for their research.
After few years of learning and researching the science behind human flight, the Wrights followed the lead of the aeronautical experimenter Sir George Cayley. The lead divided the complications of flight in three major categories:
1. Wings
2. A method of balancing and controlling the airplane
3. A means of propulsion
The Wrights started with focusing on the balancing and controlling part of the airplane. To overcome this hurdle, they built a kite which incorporated various elements of designing a successful airplane in a basic form.
They then focused on the Wings. They created a new method called Wing-Warping, in which the wing structure twist or warp itself, which, when tested was successful.
The Wright Brothers designed and created their own propellers, facilitated by wind tunnels which was also created by them. The propellers functioned as rotating wings which would produce a horizontal lift and pushed the airplane through the air.
The Wright Flyer was created in 1903 after the trial and testing of gliders for 3 years.
The Wright Flyer was first powered flight in the human history; however, it wasn’t a practical airplane and so the Wright Brothers polished their design and created two more powered airplane in 1904 and 1905, which were more stable and controlled than the 1903 airplane.
With the 1904 Glider, The Wrights flew their first complete circle. And by 1905, the Wrights created their First Practical Airplane.
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