A 31 pages review and pictorial of the last one hundred years. eBook Provided by NASA

"It is my belief that flight is possible and, while I am taking up the investigation for pleasure rather than profit, I think there is a slight possibility of achieving fame and fortune from it."  - Wilbur Wright to his father September 3, 1900

December 17, 2003, marks the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' successful flight experiments at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The Wright Flyer became the first powered, heavier-than-air machine to achieve controlled, sustained flight with a pilot aboard.

These days, the Wrights' achievement — airborne for a maximum of 59 seconds — may not seem very impressive. But without their engineering skills, scientific methods, creative ingenuity and persistence, the history of planes and today's technological advances in aviation likely would have come much later. Most other experimenters at the time were more focused on the power of the engine, rather than the concepts of lift, balance and control.

Asiaing Links:

Download the eBook (Pdf, 2.73MB)

The Wright Brothers, Inventors / Aviators

• Born: 16 April 1867 (Wilbur) and 19 August 1871 (Orville)
• Birthplace: Millville, Indiana (Wilbur) and Dayton, Ohio (Orville)
• Died: 30 May 1912 (Wilbur) and 30 January 1948 (Orville)
• Best Known As: Inventors of the airplane

Brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright built and flew the first airplane. Others had flown in balloons and gliders, but the Wrights' creation was a manned, motor-powered heavier-than-air craft. The first flight, with Orville at the controls, took place at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903.

FOUR GOOD LINKS

• The Wright Brothers
  Quick and easy access to the bare essentials of their story
• Wilbur and Orville Wright
  Quick story of their childhood, plus photos and some good links
• The American Experience: The Wright Stuff
  Transcripts and notes from the PBS TV series; good info, but a bit scattered
• National Aviation Hall of Fame
  Meaty bios of the brothers and dozens of other hot fliers

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