Flying - The Wright Brothers
The Wright brothers - Orville and Wilbur - were boys who grew up loving to invent things. They became interested in flying when their dad gave them a toy helicopter that flew with the help of rubber bands. They experimented with making their own helicopters and Orville also liked to build kites. They were always interested in flying. When they were old enough, they started working on becoming the first people to fly.
Who flew the first flight? (see picture 1 above)
Orville made the famous first flight. The flight took place at Kitty Hawk, USA on December 17, 1903. They chose Kitty Hawk because it had a hill, good breezes, and was sandy which would help soften the landings in case of a crash. The first flight lasted 12 seconds and they flew for 120 feet. Each brother made additional flights that day that were slightly longer.
This wasn't a simple or easy task that they had completed. They had worked and experimented for years with gliders, perfecting the wing design and controls. Then they had to learn how to make efficient propellers and a lightweight engine for the powered flight. There was a lot of technology, know-how, and courage involved in making that first flight.
The Wright Brothers didn't stop with this first flight. They continued to perfect their craft. Around a year later, in November 1904, Wilbur took their newly designed airplane, the Flyer II, to the air for the first flight lasting over 5 minutes.
They continued to develop their flying machine an by 1908, the US military were considering purchasing the aircraft for a new military aeroplane. The first two demonstrations to show that their plane could carry passengers were successful (albeit with only 1 passenger each time!). The third demonstration proved to be a catastrophe...
Lift Off!
Twenty-six-year-old Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge volunteered to be a passenger on the next flight. A member of the Aerial Experiment Association, Lt. Selfridge was also on the Army board that was assessing the Wrights' Flyer at Fort Myers, Virginia.
It was just after 5 p.m. on September 17, 1908, when Orville and Lt. Selfridge got into the airplane. Lt. Selfridge was the Wrights' heaviest passenger thus far, weighing 175 pounds. Once the propellers were turned, Lt. Selfridge waved to the crowd. For this demonstration, approximately 2,000 people were present.
The weights were dropped and the airplane was off. Orville flew the plane, keeping manoeuvres very simple. He heard a light tapping behind him, so he decided to turn the engine off and glide down to the ground. Before he could do this, however, he heard "two big thumps, which gave the machine a terrible shaking." The plane veered to the right and then crashed into the ground (see picture 4 above). Lt. Selfridge died that night in hospital; Orville suffered a broken leg, several broken ribs and multiple cuts and bruises.
Later, he found that he had also broken both hips, which the doctors had missed. He and his brother re-designed the propeller (which had failed causing the crash) and was soon flying again.
Who flew the first flight? (see picture 1 above)
Orville made the famous first flight. The flight took place at Kitty Hawk, USA on December 17, 1903. They chose Kitty Hawk because it had a hill, good breezes, and was sandy which would help soften the landings in case of a crash. The first flight lasted 12 seconds and they flew for 120 feet. Each brother made additional flights that day that were slightly longer.
This wasn't a simple or easy task that they had completed. They had worked and experimented for years with gliders, perfecting the wing design and controls. Then they had to learn how to make efficient propellers and a lightweight engine for the powered flight. There was a lot of technology, know-how, and courage involved in making that first flight.
The Wright Brothers didn't stop with this first flight. They continued to perfect their craft. Around a year later, in November 1904, Wilbur took their newly designed airplane, the Flyer II, to the air for the first flight lasting over 5 minutes.
They continued to develop their flying machine an by 1908, the US military were considering purchasing the aircraft for a new military aeroplane. The first two demonstrations to show that their plane could carry passengers were successful (albeit with only 1 passenger each time!). The third demonstration proved to be a catastrophe...
Lift Off!
Twenty-six-year-old Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge volunteered to be a passenger on the next flight. A member of the Aerial Experiment Association, Lt. Selfridge was also on the Army board that was assessing the Wrights' Flyer at Fort Myers, Virginia.
It was just after 5 p.m. on September 17, 1908, when Orville and Lt. Selfridge got into the airplane. Lt. Selfridge was the Wrights' heaviest passenger thus far, weighing 175 pounds. Once the propellers were turned, Lt. Selfridge waved to the crowd. For this demonstration, approximately 2,000 people were present.
The weights were dropped and the airplane was off. Orville flew the plane, keeping manoeuvres very simple. He heard a light tapping behind him, so he decided to turn the engine off and glide down to the ground. Before he could do this, however, he heard "two big thumps, which gave the machine a terrible shaking." The plane veered to the right and then crashed into the ground (see picture 4 above). Lt. Selfridge died that night in hospital; Orville suffered a broken leg, several broken ribs and multiple cuts and bruises.
Later, he found that he had also broken both hips, which the doctors had missed. He and his brother re-designed the propeller (which had failed causing the crash) and was soon flying again.