Their research did not occur in a vacuum; they investigated the experiments of other aviation pioneers, writing to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D. The Wrights progressed from kite to glider research and, valuing privacy while needing consistently high winds, moved glider experimentation to the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Research and development activities took place at the cycle shop on West Third Street in Dayton. Through experimentation at the cycle shop using a small, homemade wind tunnel, the Wrights designed the airplane that made the first powered, controlled, sustained flight on December 17, Experimentation and flight testing over the next decade at Huffman Prairie, eight miles 13 km east of Dayton, and at Kitty Hawk, resulted in the development of practical airplanes that could remain airborne for as long as fuel reserves permitted.
Wary of competitors copying their designs while patents pended, Wilbur and Orville did not fly between late and the spring of That spring, they signed a contract with the U.
Army for an airplane capable of flying for one hour at a speed of forty miles per hour and negotiated an agreement with French entrepreneurs interested in selling Wright airplanes in France. While Orville remained in the United States for the trial flights for the Army, Wilbur traveled to Europe to demonstrate their invention. In , Wilbur and Orville opened a bike shop, fixing bicycles and later selling their own designs. Always working on different mechanical projects and keeping up with scientific research, the Wright brothers closely followed the research of German aviator Otto Lilienthal.
When Lilienthal died in a glider crash, the brothers decided to start their own experiments with flight. Determined to develop their own successful design, Wilbur and Orville headed to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, known for its strong winds. Wilbur and Orville set to work trying to figure out how to design wings for flight.
They observed that birds angled their wings for balance and control, and tried to emulate this, developing a concept called "wing warping. The Wright brothers soon found that their success was not appreciated by all. Many in the press, as well as fellow flight experts, were reluctant to believe the brothers' claims.
As a result, Wilbur set out for Europe in , where he hoped he would have more success convincing the public and selling airplanes. In France, Wilbur found a much more receptive audience.
There, he made many public flights and gave rides to officials, journalists and statesmen. In , Orville joined his brother in Europe, as did their younger sister, Katharine. The Wrights became huge celebrities there, hosted by royals and heads of state, and constantly featured in the press. The Wrights began to sell their airplanes in Europe and then returned to the United States in It is no wonder that when Wilbur traveled to France to exhibit the Wright Flyer, he visited the Louvre 16 times and recorded his impression of the works of more than 30 painters in letters home to his sister.
It took more than one person to solve the problem of human flight. Two were required. Wilbur and Orville Wright were liberally educated men. The views expressed are those of the author s and are not necessarily those of Scientific American. Already a subscriber? Sign in. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Create your free account or Sign in to continue. See Subscription Options. Go Paperless with Digital. Get smart. Often it was the emotional anchor provided by their strong family ties that helped Wilbur and Orville persevere when they encountered difficulties in their research.
In the mids, Wilbur, Orville, and their sister Katharine were in their twenties, the age young people of their time typically began to seriously contemplate marriage. Yet none of them showed any interest in finding a mate.
They seemed bound by an unspoken agreement to remain together and let no one come between them.
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