The inventors of the first airplane! Interesting facts related to the Wright brothers!

Modern aviation owes gratitude to the famous Wright Brothers who made the greatest invention of the 20^th Century; the airplanes. No one can beat that the foundation of the modern aviation industry is their invention.

It was not mere thinking but their hard work and determination that had made this possible! Their invention has made it possible for modern age people to travel long distances in the shortest possible time.

So how did all this happen? Herewith we present some interesting facts related to their lives and their invention! Read through to know it all!

1. The main inventor Wilbur Wright was the middle son of a family with 5 children. His father Milton Wright was a Bishop of the United Brethren in Christ. Similarly, his mother Susan Catherine Koerner. His brother Orville Wright was his playmate and was 4 years younger than Wilbur.
2. Neither Wilbur nor Orville had attended college. Wilbur had to let go of his wish to join college after he was injured seriously on the face while playing ice hockey. His wounds healed but he slipped into depression and could not even obtain his high school diploma. He spent his time at home reading books and taking care of his ailing mother who later died in 1889 due to TB.

   

3. For their living, they opened a publishing house. While Wilbur was the Editor at this house, Orville was the publisher.
4. These mechanical-minded brothers also had a passion for bicycles. The brothers opened a bicycle shop in 1992 where they did repairing and also invented and sold new designs.
5. The brothers used to follow scientific research closely and were monitoring the progress made by German aviator Otto Lilienthal. After the death of Lilienthal in a glider accident, the brothers decided to commence their experiments in designing an airplane that is powered, can fly longer distances, and can be controlled.

   

   For this, they traveled to Kitty Hawk in North Carolina where strong winds were present which would help their flight experiments.

6. The great invention-They realized that the airplane wings need to be modified for better results. They took their inspiration from the birds who angle their wings for balance and control. This led them to develop a concept called wing-warping.

   

   They added a moveable rudder and this became a magic phenomenon since, with it, they could fly free with their controlled power-driven plane which was heavier than air. This feat was possible on 17 December 1903 when they flew at 852 feet for 59 seconds.

7. Though many people in the past had flown above the ground, the flight of the Wright brothers was the first, controlled, sustained, and powered flight. Besides, their invented plane could be moved on all 3 axes unlike the previous inventions, which gave the pilots more flexibility and mobility.
8. Wright brothers also kept reinventing and improvising their design to make it better for long-distance flights. They are truly the Fathers of Modern Aviation.
9. The brothers did not initially find a receptive audience for their planes in the US and were not appreciated for their efforts. Wilbur and later Orville moved to France where they found the people more understanding of their designs and they managed to get wealthy after selling their plane designs.

   

10. The brothers shared a great relationship between them and always took credit together. There was no misunderstanding or friction between them. Wilbur died in 1912 due to typhoid fever. His father wrote:

“A short life, full of consequences. An unfailing intellect, imperturbable temper, great self-reliance and as great modesty.”

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