The Wright brothers’ first successful flight, 1903. Image: Wikimedia Commons.
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At the beginning of the twentieth century, many inventors were trying to build a successful flying machine. Two bicycle makers from Ohio, USA, became especially interested in the problem. Their names were Wilbur and Orville Wright. The brothers studied birds, read about earlier experiments and tested different wing shapes. They also built gliders to learn how a pilot could control an aircraft in the air. Control was one of the hardest problems. A machine needed to do more than simply leave the ground; the pilot had to be able to turn and keep it balanced. The Wright brothers developed a system that helped control the wings and direction of their aircraft. They also designed a light engine and propellers. On 17 December 1903, near Kitty Hawk in North Carolina, Orville Wright made the first powered flight of the day. The aircraft stayed in the air for only about twelve seconds and travelled around 37 metres. Later that day, Wilbur made a much longer flight. The achievement may have looked small, but it changed transportation forever. Within a few decades, aircraft were carrying passengers across countries and oceans.
