The earliest recorded use of power in getting an object in the air was during the Greek civilization. It took place in 500 B.C. when Heron used steam made by a boiler.

Step by step these new designs helped with the progress of flight.

A Frenchman, Clement Ader was the first person to lift off the ground in an aircraft with power. But his invention could not be controlled or remain in the air.

Orville and Wilbur Wright became interested in flight as boys in Ohio. Their father gave them a rubber hand powered toy helicopter. Although they did not go to college, they were smart and taught themselves the principles of flight.

When bicycling became popular in the 1890's, the Wright Brothers ran a bicycle repair shop. They made so much money that they went on to design and make their own bikes.

The Wright Brothers began flying gliders near Kitty Hawk. For 4 years they made 1000 successful gliding flights on those dunes. They agreed with Chanute that control was needed for successful flight.

They tested their gliders over and over. After a number of flights with a glider of their own design, they decided to change the shape of the wings and to make the wings larger. They learned to launch (push into the air) the gliders and how to deal with the winds. They tested their gliders over and over.

In 1901 the Wright Brothers met with alot of failure. The wing design was not good because there was not enough lift. A German man, Karl Jatho almost beat them in flying with an engine. But he gave up.

In 1902 they made 1000 flights with Glider No.#3. They saw a soaring buzzard right itself from a gust of wind by raising his wing tip of his lowered wing and then regain balance. They made improvements on their glider from the bird's movements. This made their glider the very best. In 1903 they flew for 59 seconds in North Carolina.

The name of their airplane was the Flyer. It was in excellent shape. They had made the engine themselves. It had 12 horsepower.

The Age of Flight had begun! It would be 5 years before the Wright Brothers would get attention for their success. In 1908 the War Department signed a contract for a Wright Flyer if it could pass certain tests. It was with these tests by the Wrights in 1908 that the world really knew what they had done 5 years earlier. And the world loved it!

Explore Space ... Not Drugs!
Hear what astronauts have to say about staying drug-free.
Last modified: Thu Jun 5 17:10:43 PDT 1997