Today in History: The first aeroplane flies in America
The Wright Brothers conducted the first-ever powered flight on this day in 1903.
Near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first successful flight in history of a self-propelled, heavier-than-air aircraft in 1903.
Orville and Wilbur grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and developed an interest in aviation after learning of the glider flights of the German engineer, Otto Lilienthal, in the 1890s. Unlike their older brothers, Orville and Wilbur did not attend college, but they possessed extraordinary technical ability and a sophisticated approach to solving problems in mechanical design.
They built printing presses and in 1892 opened a bicycle sales and repair shop. Soon, they were building their own bicycles, and this experience, combined with profits from their various businesses, allowed them to actively pursue their dream of building the world’s first aeroplane.
Their first glider, tested in 1900, performed poorly, but a new design, tested in 1901, was more successful. Later that year, they built a wind tunnel where they tested nearly 200 wings and airframes of different shapes and designs. The brothers’ systematic experimentation paid off – they flew hundreds of successful flights in their 1902 glider at Kill Devils Hills near Kitty Hawk.
Their biplane glider featured a steering system, based on a movable rudder, that solved the problem of controlled flight. They were now ready for powered flight.
In Dayton, they designed a 12-horsepower internal combustion engine with the assistance of machinist Charles Taylor and built a new aircraft to house it. They transported their aircraft in pieces to Kitty Hawk in the Autumn of 1903, assembled it, made a few further tests, and on 14 December, Orville made the first attempt at powered flight.
The engine stalled during take-off and the plane was damaged, and they spent three days repairing it. Then at 10.35am on 17 December, in front of five witnesses, the aircraft ran down a monorail track and into the air, staying aloft for 12 seconds and flying 36m.
Three more tests were made that day, with Wilbur and Orville alternately flying the aeroplane. Wilbur flew the last flight, covering 259m in 59 seconds.
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