The Wright Brothers' Innovation:
In 1899 Wilbur Wright wrote a letter to the Smithsonian Institution for information concerning flight experiments. Not soon after the two brothers ; Wilbur and Orville, designed their first aircraft. The early invention was just a small biplane glider to be tested like a kite to determine a way to control the craft by wing warping, ( A method of arching the wing tips to slightly control the aircraft's rolling motion and balance.)
The brothers observed birds to learn how the wings warped in certain parts to maintain control once in the air. Using their knowledge they designed series of gliders each getting more and more complex with the years. By 1901 at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina they flew the biggest glider ever at 100 pounds with a wingspan of 22 feet with a skids for landing. This plane was unsuccessful and crashed due to the fact of the wings didn't have enough lifting power. The Wright brothers predicted that men would never fly in their lifetime.
The brothers did not give up even thought they had disappointing results, in 1902 they invented the gliders with a moveable tip to balance the aircraft. The moveable tail was connected with wing-warping wires enabling coordinating turns. Their gliders proved to be rather successful with gliding and so they planned to build a powerful and complex aircraft. After studying propellers the brothers built a complex motor and a aircraft body stable and tough enough to endure the motors constant vibrations and weight. They created a new craft weighing 700 pounds and was named the Flyer.
Using the Flyer the brothers added on to their invention and created a moveable track to help launch their Flyer. The downhill track designed to get the aircraft enough speed to successfully launch into the air. They used the machine twice, one resulted in a minor crash and the other was successful. On December 17,1903 Orville Wright piloted the flyer in a 12 second flight that made history as the first successfully piloted and powered flight. The following year in November of 1904 Wilbur took his turn and piloted Flyer number two on a five minute flight.
In 1909 just five years after their successful flights North America's government bought their first plane, a Wright Brothers Biplane on July 30. It was sold for $25,000 with a bonus of $5,000 because the biplane exceeded 40mph. In 1911 the Wrights' Vin Fiz was the first airplane to fly across the U.S.. It took 84 days and stopped 70 times (Crash landed so much that little is left of this aircraft.) On July 18, 1914 an Aviation Section of the Signal Corps was established with planes by the Wright Brothers and their chief competitor, Glenn Curtiss. In the same year of 1914 the United States Court decided in favor of the Brothers and patented a suit against Glenn Curtiss's aileron (French meaning 'little wing') . The patent gave credit to the Brothers for inventing the lateral control of an aircraft. Even though Curtiss's aileron was very different from the Wright brothers aircrafts the court came to the decision that the use of lateral controls way "unauthorized" by patent law.
("History of Flight - The Wright Brothers." About.com Inventors. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2013.) PICTURE: http://wallpoper.com/images/00/39/40/06/wright-brothers_00394006.jpg
The brothers observed birds to learn how the wings warped in certain parts to maintain control once in the air. Using their knowledge they designed series of gliders each getting more and more complex with the years. By 1901 at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina they flew the biggest glider ever at 100 pounds with a wingspan of 22 feet with a skids for landing. This plane was unsuccessful and crashed due to the fact of the wings didn't have enough lifting power. The Wright brothers predicted that men would never fly in their lifetime.
The brothers did not give up even thought they had disappointing results, in 1902 they invented the gliders with a moveable tip to balance the aircraft. The moveable tail was connected with wing-warping wires enabling coordinating turns. Their gliders proved to be rather successful with gliding and so they planned to build a powerful and complex aircraft. After studying propellers the brothers built a complex motor and a aircraft body stable and tough enough to endure the motors constant vibrations and weight. They created a new craft weighing 700 pounds and was named the Flyer.
Using the Flyer the brothers added on to their invention and created a moveable track to help launch their Flyer. The downhill track designed to get the aircraft enough speed to successfully launch into the air. They used the machine twice, one resulted in a minor crash and the other was successful. On December 17,1903 Orville Wright piloted the flyer in a 12 second flight that made history as the first successfully piloted and powered flight. The following year in November of 1904 Wilbur took his turn and piloted Flyer number two on a five minute flight.
In 1909 just five years after their successful flights North America's government bought their first plane, a Wright Brothers Biplane on July 30. It was sold for $25,000 with a bonus of $5,000 because the biplane exceeded 40mph. In 1911 the Wrights' Vin Fiz was the first airplane to fly across the U.S.. It took 84 days and stopped 70 times (Crash landed so much that little is left of this aircraft.) On July 18, 1914 an Aviation Section of the Signal Corps was established with planes by the Wright Brothers and their chief competitor, Glenn Curtiss. In the same year of 1914 the United States Court decided in favor of the Brothers and patented a suit against Glenn Curtiss's aileron (French meaning 'little wing') . The patent gave credit to the Brothers for inventing the lateral control of an aircraft. Even though Curtiss's aileron was very different from the Wright brothers aircrafts the court came to the decision that the use of lateral controls way "unauthorized" by patent law.
("History of Flight - The Wright Brothers." About.com Inventors. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2013.) PICTURE: http://wallpoper.com/images/00/39/40/06/wright-brothers_00394006.jpg
**Some of the most major innovations that have changed airplanes are the enclosure of the cockpit for flying in all types of inclement weather, adding bigger fuel tanks for longer flights, the increase in structure size and strength so passengers and freight could be flown and the invention of directional and communication equipment.**