The Wright Brothers

Wilbur Wright

Apr 16, 1867

He was born in Millville, Indiana. He was the third child of Bishop Milton Wright and Susan Catharine Wright.

High School

Mar 5, 1889

Wilbur Wright never graduated from high school.

Bicycle Shop

Mar 5, 1893

Wilbur and Orville decided to open a bicycle repair shop. Soon they were building and selling custom-made bicycles as well as repairing them.

The Smithsonian

Mar 6, 1899

Wilbur wrote the Smithsonian for literature. It dismayed that so many great minds had made so little progress.

Kite

Mar 6, 1899

Wilbur and Orville tested wing-warping the forerunner of ailerons on a 5-foot biplane kite.

Kite 2

Mar 6, 1900

The Wright brothers built a 17-foot glider with an unusual forward elevator.

Improvements

Mar 6, 1901

To overcome the lift problem, the Wright brothers increased the camber of the glider.

More Improvements

Mar 6, 1902

They gave the glider efficient 32-foot wings and added vertical tails to counteract adverse yaw.

First Flight

Mar 6, 1903

Orville Wright flew the flider, and It lasted only 12 seconds, and the distance of the flight was less than the length of an airliner.