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On December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright became the
first to make a controlled and sustained flight in a
power-driven, heavier-than-air craft. Though not formerly
trained in the field of engineering, the brothers approached
the problem of flight as would any well-trained engineer.
Using a thorough and systematic approach, they were able to
solve three key challenges that kept all other would-be flyers
aground.
First, there was the issue of lift. When the brothers found
the existing data on lift inaccurate, they collected their own
data, making use of a wind tunnel that they designed and built
themselves. Then there was the control of an aircraft. While
others saw their crafts as being inherently stable, the
Wrights knew that the opposite was true; they knew that a
successful aircraft would have to continually make adjustments
in response to changes in wind speed and direction. Finally,
there was propulsion. Before the Wrights, there was no
detailed data on propeller design. Again with the help of
their wind tunnel, they developed a propeller that was far
more efficient than any other then in existence. In fact,
their propeller design has remained virtually unchanged to
this day.
This interactive feature describes the Wrights' 1903 Flyer,
including how they used the plane's controls to maneuver their
craft. —Rick Groleau
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