INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
the first airplane
Wilbur Wright
Orville Wright
The First Airplane
The Wright Brothers researched the work of German aviator Otto Lilienthal and when he was killed in a crash, the brothers decided to build their own flyer. To be successful they went to Kitty Hawk, NC because it had strong winds. They worked on designing wings for the plane and used birds as their guide. When they added a rudder, they had their first successful flight in December 1903. Wilbur flew the plane for 59 seconds over a distance of 852 feet.
This invention was important to the Industrial Revolution because it showed the American people that human flight was possible. In just a few short decades after the Wright's first plane, planes were used for travel and war.
Today, the modern airplane is very important to our society. It is used for travel, war, business and to quickly move people and supplies to their destination faster than in a car. The airplane today looks much different than the first, as seen in the pictures above. The biggest difference is that the seats are inside the plane instead of the person laying down on the wings!
bibliography
#2-http://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/wright-brothers/online/who/1859/wilbur.cfm
#3-http://www.history.com/topics/inventions/wright-brothers