They Go Up Diddly Up Up North Carolina, USA 1903
The Wright Flyer did not just usher in a new age of air travel just because brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright could get the contraption off the ground. What made the world’s first airplane revolutionary was that the pilot could control it.
The Flyer was the result of four years of careful study, with the Wright brothers pioneering many of the building blocks of modern aeronautic engineering, such as analysing wind tunnel data. The brothers also had to invent a whole new way of steering this flying machine, but over time they managed to get a grip of these controls, extending the flight time from 12 seconds on its premiere flight to 59 seconds by their fourth attempt.
Flying with wings
The Wright brothers had spent three years testing kites and gliders to perfect their plane. The wings have a span of 12.3 metres (40 feet four inches).
Propelling forward
A pair of propellers at the rear are made from long, twisted pieces of wood. Moving at high speed, they generate thrust, pushing the Flyer forward.
The Flyer’s heart
A custom-made, gasoline-powered engine provides the power needed to turn the propellers – previous (failed) inventors had used steam.
Ride lying down
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