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When Man Took Flight
By Jane Runyon
In 1903, a reporter for The
New York Times wrote an article.
He had heard stories about some
inventors. These inventors
wanted to invent a machine that
could fly. After researching his
article, the reporter came up
with one conclusion. He
decided that man would be able
to make a plane that was lighter
than air in one to ten million
years. Nothing he had seen
could convince him that man
would ever fly like the birds. Little did that reporter know that even
while he was writing his article, the idea of flight was coming closer
to becoming a reality.
Wilbur Wright and his brother had been experimenting since
1899 with flying machines. Their first plane was a glider. It was
powered by the wind. This first glider cost only $15 to construct. It
measured sixteen feet from wingtip to wingtip. The Wright brothers
owned a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio. They used their knowledge
of machines to build a glider that could be steered in the wind. A
means of steering would enable the flyers to control where they went.
They ran a wire from the tip of each wing. This wire led to steering
sticks at the center of the glider. Moving these sticks let the pilot
turn left or right.
The success they found in constructing a glider led the two men
to another level. They decided that they could attach a small engine
to their glider and stay in the air for longer periods of time. In 1900,
they moved their experiment to North Carolina. They had a friend
who studied weather. He convinced the brothers that the wind at
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, would be perfect for their tests. A sand
dune named Kill Devil Hill would also keep them hidden from the
curious eyes of the public. For two years, Wilbur and Orville tested
their gliders. With each test they learned more. They revised the
construction of their glider and built new ones when necessary.
Their last glider was called the Wright Glider of 1902. It made over
one thousand flights.
In 1903, they were ready for the next step. They had an
employee from their bicycle shop design an engine. It had to be
small enough that it wouldn't weigh the plane down but powerful
enough to lift the plane off the ground. Would it surprise you to
know that the chain that was used in the engine was off a bicycle?
The brothers carved propellers that the engine would turn. They
were ready to try out their new invention.
Just eight days after the New York reporter stated that it would be
more than a million years before man would fly, the Wright brothers
took flight. It was December 17, 1903. Orville piloted the first
flight. He traveled 120 feet in twelve seconds. Each brother got to
pilot the flying machine twice that day. On the fourth flight, Wilbur
guided the plane 852 feet and was in the air for fifty-nine seconds.
Luckily, there were five other people present for this historic flight.
They might not have been believed otherwise.
This historic first plane cost a little more than the brothers' first
glider. The Wright Flyer was constructed for a little less than $1000.
It had a forty foot wingspan. The plane itself weighed only 750
pounds. It carried a twelve horsepower engine weighing 170 pounds.
The Wright brothers returned to Dayton, Ohio, in 1904. They
continued to perfect their new invention. Near the end of that year
they were able to circle over a field outside of town for five minutes
at a time. They decided that it was time to share their success with
the public. Orville and Wilbur invited a group of journalists to come
and observe a flight. Unfortunately, they had a mechanical problem
with the plane. They were unable to fly. The problem took several
days to fix. In the meantime, the press accused them of playing a
hoax on the people. They were branded as liars and fakes.
The U.S. Army was interested in purchasing a plane for military
purposes. The men would not sign a contract with the Wrights until
they saw for themselves that the machine would fly. The Wright
brothers refused to exhibit their plane after they were embarrassed
by the press. Two other inventors, Alberto Santos-Dumont and
Glenn Curtiss took credit for inventing an airplane for the future.
The Wright brothers hid the fact from the public that they had staged
a flight of over thirty-nine minutes that took them a distance of 24
1/2 miles in 1905. Glenn Curtiss took credit for making the first
American flight in July of 1908.
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A month later, the Wright brothers signed a contract with the U.S.
Army. Only then did they reveal to the public their superior flying
machine. Wilbur Wright guided the Wright Flyer in a series of
difficult maneuvers. The world could now see the future two young
men from Ohio had dreamed of for years.
When Man Took Flight
Questions
1. Orville and Wilbur Wright were first cousins.
A. true
B. false
2. What was their first plane?
A. a glider
B. a blimp
C. a jet
D. a zeppelin
3. Where did the Wrights get their experience with machines?
A. They owned a bicycle shop.
B. They read a lot of books about planes.
C. They went to engineering college.
D. They learned it from their father.
4. Why did the Wrights move their experiments to North
Carolina?
5. How many times did the Wrights fly their engine powered
plane the first day?
A. two
B. three
C. four
D. one
6. Who did the Wrights want to sign a contract with before they
made their success public?
A. the U.S. Army
B. the press
C. France
D. Glenn Curtiss
7. Orville and Wilbur Wright were pioneers.
A. true
B. false
How can something heavier than air stay off the ground?
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Have you ever wanted to fly like a bird? Where would you go if you
could fly?