THE WRIGHT BROTHERS AND THE INVENTION OF FLIGHT

Baltazar Zavala

U.S. History
Professor: C. Clark
April, 26 2015

My research paper focuses on the Wright brothers and how they designed and built the
first flying powered airplane. The Wright Brothers performed many experiments, conducted
tireless research and testing to have a working airplane that flew for the first time in 17
December 1903.
In a 1920 deposition Montgomery versus Wright Martin, Orville Wright goes on to
explain the brothers bishop father brought a toy when he came back from a church trip as he
usually did. They were just six years old when their father brought the Penaud helicopter. The
toy helicopter was made of a light bamboo tree with a rubber band to make the mechanical rotor
spin and fly. Orville explains how that helicopter flew up to the ceiling and kept going until it hit
the wall and slowly came back down to the ground. This made them very curious and only
furthered their interest in aeronautics. 1
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright grew up with the fascination of flight
and flying machines since they were young boys. In Century Magazine, September, 1908 No.5
by Orville and Wilbur Wright, the two brothers explain from firsthand accounts how their first
flying powered airplane came to be.
There were many other inventors testing air machines in the same era that tried and
where these aviation pioneers failed the Wright brothers prevailed and were ultimately given the
recognition for the first powered air free flight in history. All information and evidence
concludes the Wright brothers were the first since they made an actual power airplane with a
man in full control of the airplane. It was the first time were a machine had lifted off the ground

Mr. Barus. lawsuit of Montgomery versus Wright-Martin Airway Corporation. Paperless

archive. (1920)

with its own power and carried a human being while landing safely. The first flight in history
lasted twenty seconds. Five witnesses were present that historical day: Messrs. John T. Daniels,
W. S. Dough, and A. D. Etheridge of the Kill Devil Life Saving Station; Mr. W. C. Brinkley of
Manteo, and Mr. John Ward of Naghead, not including the Wright brothers. Invitations were
given out to attend such an amazing site but no one showed due to weather conditions and the
false hope of going out to see a flying machine that does not fly. The second and third flight
stayed in the air longer and covered 852 ft. After the last flight, the plane had turned over on its
side causing damage. One man, Mr. Daniels who had tried to stop it from tipping over sustained
some bruising but no major injuries.
From 1885 to 1900, it seemed for a short time the thought of flight was not plausible.
Efforts were exhausted in the hopes to achieve this feat of man. Many prominent aviation
pioneers perished during their experiments. Otto Linienthal and Percy Sinclair Pilcher were of
the casualties during this time in early aviation. Otto Linienthal respesented the aviation school
of soaring flight. Linienthal died in a glider crash. Very few details are given about the fate of
Percy Sinclair Pilcher, only that he perished in a flying experiment as well. It was at this time
however, following the tragic deaths of Linienthal and Pilcher did the Wright brothers Orville
and Wilbur become great friends with Mr. Octave Chanute a Chicago engineer who gave much
encouragement of their dedication to fly. The Wright brothers they did not start out by building a
powered flying airplane. There were many machines built before which assisted them in their
experiments which included one kite (1899), three gliders (1900, 1901, 1902), and three powered
air planes (1903, 1904, 1905).
The experiments of 1901 were quite difficult for the brothers. . They realized after
looking over the scientific data numerous times that they decided to go with their own findings.

By 1902, roughly a thousand gliding fights had been achieve with seven covering distances of
over 600 ft.
In the Letter Dated May 30, 1899 written Wilbur Wright to the Smithsonian Institution
explaining his interest in building a flying machine capable of human flight as well as requesting
information from them to send him copies of the study of flight they publish. 2
Writer Tom D. Crouch volume 40 wrote a very compelling article named Kill Devil
Hills, 17 December 1903 this article was published in the Technology and Culture magazine
volume 40 number 3 on July 1999. This article talks about the Wright brothers and their hard
work to build a powered flying machine/airplane and all the different techniques they had to
apply as well as the many resources they had go through to make their lifelong dream a reality.

Much creative work that went into the airplane from the two self-taught engineers despite
having very limited education. They had only taken interest in flying simply as a sport.
Nevertheless, The Wrights became innovators of their era. The brothers owned a bicycle shop
and had been building and selling bicycles since 1896. This is extremely shaped the way they
viewed the subject being experienced cyclists and cyclist makers. The Wrights became
innovators of their era.
The Mr. Crouch article Kill Devil Hills volume 40 goes in-depth on the engineering
that the Wright brothers used. For example, using various other machines and construction

Wright, Wilbur. Letter Dated May 30, 1899. Smithsonian Institution Archives. (1899)

Tom D. Crouch. Kill Devil Hills, 17 December 1903.(Technology and Culture: Vol. 40 No. 3),
594-598

pieces and incorporating them to build their flying powered airplane of course with many failures
and successes in between.
The Wright brothers designed their first successful flying airplane with only a flywheel.
The brothers used aluminum casting for the crankcase. They designed their airplane similar to
that of the design of a bicycle in the fact that they used bicycle technology, they mimicked
American bridge design by using struts and wires to construct the beam. and used the most
cutting edge technology on the 1903 airplane. The Wrights called upon the assistance of Charely
Taylor, a machinist who was employed by them in the brothers bicycle shop to construct a four
cylinder 12.5 horsepower engine. The brothers used aluminum casting for the crankcase. Many
other pieces that before had been used on a more traditional vehicles like that of a leather buggy
top were used. 4
Among the Wright Brothers engineering skills, they were also very talented amateur
photographers documenting on film their flight experiments. It was a joy to see their triumphs
and failures come to life in the darkroom. They had dealers in photographic supplies on their
letterhead for some time. It is because of this fact that they were able to capture one of the most
iconic and historical events of nineteenth century technology by photographing the first
successful flying powered airplane at 10:35 am on 17 December 1903 at Kill Devil Hills four
miles north of Kitty Hawk in North Carolina. Sir Oliver Franks described the moment in history
as world changing as the first airplane took flight.

Wright, Orville and Wilbur. The Wright Brothers Aeroplane. The Century Magazine. No.5.
(1908)

In a 1904 article written by Amos, Root of Medina Ohio the owner of a beekeeping
supply drove by himself 175 miles to Huffman Prairie at Simms Station, eight miles east of
Dayton. after hearing about the Wright Brothers and their flying adventures in the air. He wrote
to his readers of Gleanings in Bee Culture his observations. The Wright Brothers allowed the
eager beekeeper to stay and observe them. Very few reporters visited this flying site due to poor
weather conditions and scheduled flights not taking place. By this time the brothers were flying
up to one half mile in distance and capable of flying for longer stretches of time. Root added in
his article these two brothers have probably not even a faint glimpse of what their discovery is
going to bring to the children of men. 5
Despite being of the most significant inventions of the nineteenth century and even the
history of man, it was not until years later that the government and press became interested and
amused of the first powered airplane. The first newspaper article Airships flight a success: craft
sails skyward with aid of balloon written on December 17, 1903 and was less than news worthy.
It did not make headlines as most would assume. The article earned a spot in the newspaper in a
column. In the article, it describes the reporter watch as for the first time in history Orville
Wright labeled the Wrights invention a success once their machine landed safely and gracefully
on the ground.6
In 1904, fifty persons attended to watch the flying machine in action but were
disappointed when the machine failed to leave the ground. No photos were taken by the reporters

Amos I. Gleanings in Bee Culture: Root Concerning The Wright Brothers Flying Activity.
(1904)

University of California, Riverside CA. Airships Flight is a Success. (1903)

who attended per the request of the Wright brothers as to not let the public know the location of
their testing site. The next day, the machine failed the expectations of spectators. It did not fly.
The machine was under construction again until late September 1905. By this time, an
overhaul had been done and the machine had received a remodel to meet the requirements of a
United States government contract. The new machine was now able to accommodate two
persons; the front sitting position for the pilot to operate the plane and a second position behind
the pilots seat for the passenger. The engine was enlarged and a gasoline reservoir was made.
The controls were modified as well.
The first formal Army airplane contract between the U.S. Signal Corps and the Wright
Brothers, signed February 10, 1908. The Wright Brothers originally offered their flying machine
for sale to the U.S. War Department in January of 1905 but the government did not take interest
in the Wrights invention until years later. The contract stated the Wright brothers would be
compensated twenty five thousand dollars for their airplane under the conditions that they build a
two person airplane capable of reaching 40 miles an hour and able to stay in the air and landing
without causing any damage. In the contract the Wright brothers promise to deliver the plane in
fully working condition ready to fly in two hundred days from the signing of the contract. 7
In World War 1 July 28, 1914-November 11, 1918 the airplane played a significant role
in how the United States fought and strategized to win the war. They had new advantages that
before the airplane had been invented were not possible. Over the years the airplane has been
modified more and more from being able to furnish and carry on board weapons to the most

U.S. Signal Corps Contract. The fist Formal Army Airplane Contract Between The U.S.
Signal Corps And The Wright Brothers. Paperless Archives. (1908)

luxurious form of travel in todays day in age. Commercial planes are used for many reasons
from personal to private. It changed the way people travel today. Airplanes are used all over the
world. Airplanes deliver food and emergency supplies during natural disasters.
The Wright brothers invention although not widely popular in their time was
extraordinary to the aerial age. Today, the Wright brothers are known as some of the most
influential inventors in human history.

Amos I. Gleanings in Bee Culture: Root Concerning The Wright Brothers Flying Activity. (1904)
U.S. Signal Corps Contract. The First Formal Army Airplane Contract Between the U.S.
Signal Corps And The Wright Brothers. Paperless Archives. (1908)
Mr. Barus. lawsuit of Montgomery versus Wright-Martin Airway Corporation. Paperless archive.
(1920)
University of California, Riverside CA. Airships Flight is a Success. (1903)
Wright, Orville. Orville Wrights December 17,1903 Diary Entry. Wright State University.
(1903)
Wright, Orville and Wilbur. The Wright Brothers Aeroplane. The Century Magazine. No.5.
(1908)
Wright, Wilbur. Letter Dated May 30, 1899. Smithsonian Institution Archives. (1899)