Get to Know Interesting Facts about the Wright Brothers

Interesting Facts about the Wright Brothers

Wilbur Wright and Orville Wright are the brothers who changed aviation through their inventions. The Wright brothers are the pioneers of aviation who invented the first powered, heavier than air, sustained and self-controlled with a pilot aboard airplanes in 1903. Read on to discover interesting facts about the Wright brothers. 

Why Did the Wright Brothers Invent the Airplane?

Right from a young age, the Wright brothers were interested in flying and even their favorite toy was a small helicopter. They also loved playing with toys and their mechanics. The brothers believed that one day they would invent the flying machine. Their dream paved the way for the invention of the first airplane. In 1899, the Wright brothers started working to build their own aircraft. At that time there were only gliders or aircraft without engines. The brothers also published aeronautical articles in 1901. Otto Lilienthal, a German aviator, was the inspiration for the Wright brothers. When Lilienthal died in a glider crash, the brothers’ urge to make the aircraft doubled. To develop their aircraft they moved to Kitty Hawk, North Carolin, a place known for its strong winds. 

Wright Brothers Invention

Apart from inventing the first airplane they also built a glider in 1902 and it was the first glider with a movable rudder that allowed the pilot to move and control and in 1905 they made the practical flying machine.  

Wilbur and Orville Wright Facts

• Orville Wright made his first flight for 12 seconds and 120 feet.
• The Wright brothers were not the first to build or experiment with aircraft but they were the first to invent the perfect aircraft with control and made the fixed-wing flight possible.
• This is one of the interesting Wright brothers facts, the brothers do not have the status of the inventor of airplanes. The inventor of the airplane is still in debate and many are competing claims for early invention.
• The brothers tossed a coin to see who would first test their flight in North Carolina. Orville won the toss.
• The Wright brothers did not hold a college degree; they dropped out of school before their senior year.
• Before inventing the airplane, the brothers had a printing company and published a weekly newspaper. They also owned a successful bicycle repair and sales shop named Wright Cycle Company and the brothers got their mechanical training from this shop
• The Wright brothers never got married and they used to say that they didn’t have time to manage both wife and airplanes.
• The Wright brothers flew only once as they had promised to their father who feared losing both his sons.
• Neil Armstrong took a piece of fabric from the 1903 Wright flyer along with a piece of wood from the airplane’s left propeller in his spacesuit.