The first aircraft was an airplane invented by two brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright. They were curious about how birds fly and wanted to make a machine that could fly too. Here is a simple history of their invention:
They learned about flying by reading books and watching birds. They also made kites and gliders to test their ideas.
They built a special room with a fan to see how different shapes of wings and propellers work in the air. They called this room a wind tunnel.
They made their own engine and propellers because they could not find any that were light and strong enough for their airplane.
They chose a place near the ocean called Kitty Hawk because it had a lot of wind and sand. They built a small house there to keep their tools and materials.
They tested their airplane many times, making changes and improvements each time. They also took pictures and wrote notes about their experiments.
On December 17, 1903, they made the first flight in a powered airplane. Orville was the pilot and Wilbur ran next to him to help. The flight lasted 12 seconds and covered 120 feet (37 meters). They made three more flights that day, with the longest one lasting 59 seconds and covering 852 feet (260 meters).
They kept working on their airplane and made longer and higher flights. They also showed their airplane to other people and taught them how to fly.
They started a company to make and sell airplanes. They also opened a school to train pilots.
Wilbur died when he was 45 years old. Orville lived until he was 76 years old. He saw how airplanes changed the world in many ways.
The Wright brothers are remembered as the fathers of modern aviation. Their original 1903 airplane is in a museum in Washington, D.C.
What did the Wright brothers build to test different shapes of wings and propellers?