The Wright Brothers. Self-reliant American pioneers on a single-minded quest to fulfill a dream
humanity has had for thousands of years--to fly free and far on the wind. Right?
Wrong, actually. Sons of a minister, Wilbur and Orville were not even the oldest of the family; they
were the last two boys, with one sister, Katherine, coming after them. The three lived at home most of
their lives; only Katherine married, and that was late in her life.
Orville was a sportster who got interested in them new-fangled bicycle things early on, and dragged
his older brother Wilbur into business with him after their printing business was pretty well off. Wilbur
was a dreamer who could not quite find his place or his own way; a brilliant mind but no discipline for
schooling and universities. It was Wilbur who began to experiment wit kites in 1899 in...Dayton, Ohio.
Another forgotten fact: Dayton was their home; Dayton was their laboratory. Kitty Hawk was their
proving ground. Kitty Hawk would have never happened without Dayton; Dayton would have been
just another fruitless effort of backyard inventors without Kitty Hawk.
humanity has had for thousands of years--to fly free and far on the wind. Right?
Wrong, actually. Sons of a minister, Wilbur and Orville were not even the oldest of the family; they
were the last two boys, with one sister, Katherine, coming after them. The three lived at home most of
their lives; only Katherine married, and that was late in her life.
Orville was a sportster who got interested in them new-fangled bicycle things early on, and dragged
his older brother Wilbur into business with him after their printing business was pretty well off. Wilbur
was a dreamer who could not quite find his place or his own way; a brilliant mind but no discipline for
schooling and universities. It was Wilbur who began to experiment wit kites in 1899 in...Dayton, Ohio.
Another forgotten fact: Dayton was their home; Dayton was their laboratory. Kitty Hawk was their
proving ground. Kitty Hawk would have never happened without Dayton; Dayton would have been
just another fruitless effort of backyard inventors without Kitty Hawk.
Wilbur did not intend to conquer flight, but to be one of the
many contributors to the effort. He decided to tackle the problem
of control--turnning, banking, rising and descending like birds.
Slowly, from 1899-1901 he pulled Orville along, a staunch helper
in Wilbur's hobby, but not a full and enthusiastic partner until the
1902 glider flights.
many contributors to the effort. He decided to tackle the problem
of control--turnning, banking, rising and descending like birds.
Slowly, from 1899-1901 he pulled Orville along, a staunch helper
in Wilbur's hobby, but not a full and enthusiastic partner until the
1902 glider flights.
Orville (left) and Wilbur in France in
1908, five years after the hops of 1903.
(Right) Wilbur in the only image of the
1901 Glider in flight over Kitty Hawk.
The brothers treated the 1900 and
1901 trips more as vacations; they did
not yet know how close they were to
actuall success.
Both photos courtesy of the National
Archives.
1908, five years after the hops of 1903.
(Right) Wilbur in the only image of the
1901 Glider in flight over Kitty Hawk.
The brothers treated the 1900 and
1901 trips more as vacations; they did
not yet know how close they were to
actuall success.
Both photos courtesy of the National
Archives.
Wilbur in the 1902 Glider, the
first truly practical and safe
man-carrying, heavier-than-air
flying machine ever built. At
first the glider had a nasty habit
of actually reversing directions
and sliding out of the sky when
banked in a turn; it was Orville,
up late after drinking too much
coffee, who found the solution:
replaced the fixed tail with a
moveable rudder.
Photo courtesy of the National
Archives.
first truly practical and safe
man-carrying, heavier-than-air
flying machine ever built. At
first the glider had a nasty habit
of actually reversing directions
and sliding out of the sky when
banked in a turn; it was Orville,
up late after drinking too much
coffee, who found the solution:
replaced the fixed tail with a
moveable rudder.
Photo courtesy of the National
Archives.
It's a great myth, two bicycle makers appearing on the scene in 1903 with a powered flying
machine...but part of the brother's success was the fact that they broke the problem down into parts.
Lift first, then bank control, elevator control, rudder control. Piece by piece they perfected each aspect,
testing model airfoils in a home-built wind tunnle. 1899-1903--it was half a decade's work (and this
around their "day job") that resulted finally in what is arguably one of the greatest moments of the 20th
Century, the first flight at Kitty Hawk on 17 December 1903:
machine...but part of the brother's success was the fact that they broke the problem down into parts.
Lift first, then bank control, elevator control, rudder control. Piece by piece they perfected each aspect,
testing model airfoils in a home-built wind tunnle. 1899-1903--it was half a decade's work (and this
around their "day job") that resulted finally in what is arguably one of the greatest moments of the 20th
Century, the first flight at Kitty Hawk on 17 December 1903:
Winning a toss of the coin, Orville lifts off in one of the most famous photos in the
world. John Daniels, who worked for the U.S. Life Saving Station at Kitty Hawk,
squeezed the bulb to operate Orville's camera and caught moment of take off.
Photo courtesy of the National Archives.
world. John Daniels, who worked for the U.S. Life Saving Station at Kitty Hawk,
squeezed the bulb to operate Orville's camera and caught moment of take off.
Photo courtesy of the National Archives.
From atop Big Kill Devil hill, a huge sand dune,
you can view the brothers' entire flight line. They
made their glider flights from this high ground, but
used to the level plain below to test their powered
machines. Reconstructed many years later, the
brothers' camp and flight path is marked from the
start to the finish of each flight (right). The red
arrows in the above photo show the starting point
(left arrow) and the end of the first flight (right
arrow). A distance shorter than most modern
airliners' wingspans. But it was the first in which a
heavier-than-iar machine had lifted itself into the air
from level ground, moved foward under control, and
landed at a point as high as that at which it
started--the classic definition of controled, sustained,
powered flight.
February 2002.
you can view the brothers' entire flight line. They
made their glider flights from this high ground, but
used to the level plain below to test their powered
machines. Reconstructed many years later, the
brothers' camp and flight path is marked from the
start to the finish of each flight (right). The red
arrows in the above photo show the starting point
(left arrow) and the end of the first flight (right
arrow). A distance shorter than most modern
airliners' wingspans. But it was the first in which a
heavier-than-iar machine had lifted itself into the air
from level ground, moved foward under control, and
landed at a point as high as that at which it
started--the classic definition of controled, sustained,
powered flight.
February 2002.
Looking back from the end of the fourth flight to the Wrights' hangar and
workshop/lodgings. In the background is Big Kill Devil Hill and the Wright Brothers
Monument. Big Kill Devil Hill was actually moved about 400 feet by the wind from the
time of the 1903 flights to the Park Services' stabilazation of it with grass in the 1930's.
February 2002.
workshop/lodgings. In the background is Big Kill Devil Hill and the Wright Brothers
Monument. Big Kill Devil Hill was actually moved about 400 feet by the wind from the
time of the 1903 flights to the Park Services' stabilazation of it with grass in the 1930's.
February 2002.
