| NASA Center: |
Headquarters |
| Image # : |
65-H-611 |
|---|
| Date : |
12/17/1903
|
|---|
|
Title
The Wright Brothers First Heavier-than-air Flight
Full Description
On December 17, 1903, at 10:30 am at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina,
this airplane arose for a few seconds to make the first powered,
heavier-than-air controlled flight in history. The first flight
lasted 12 seconds and flew a distance of 120 feet. Orville
Wright piloted the historic flight while his brother, Wilbur,
observed. The brothers took three other flights that day, each
flight lasting longer than the other with the final flight going
a distance of 852 feet in 59 seconds. This flight was the
culmination of a number of years of research on gliders.
Orville and Wilbur Wright's curiosity with flight began in 1878
when their father, Milton, gave them a rubber band powered toy
helicopter. Although they were never formally educated, the
self-taught engineers constantly experimented with kites and
gliders. Bicycle shop owners by occupation, the brothers spent
years designing, testing and redesigning their gliders and
planes. After the successful flights of December 17, 1903,
Orville and Wilbur continued to perfect their plane. In 1909 the
Army Signal Corps purchased a Wright Flyer, creating the first
military airplane. Although Wilbur passed away May 30, 1912, from
typhoid fever, Orville remained an active promoter of aviation
until his death on January 30, 1948.
The Air Age truly began with that historic flight on December 17,
1903. In 1908 the Wright Brothers designed the first military
aircraft for the Army Signal Corps. Seven years later, in 1915,
the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) became the
nations leading aviation research organization, of which Orville
was a member for 28 years. As the airplane became more
aerodynamic and technically advanced, its uses expanded into many
different directions. Military aircraft played significant roles
in both World War I and World War II. The airplane made worldwide
travel and exploration possible. Spaceflight would never have
been realized without the pioneering achievements of the Wright
Brothers.
Keywords
Kitty Hawk Orville Wright Wilbur Wright First Flight
Subject Category
Unique Aircraft, Early Aerospace-Pioneers,
Reference Numbers
- Center:
HQ
- Center Number:
65-H-611
- GRIN DataBase Number:
GPN-2002-000128
Source Information
| Resolution | Format | Width
(Pixels) | Height
(Pixels) | Size
(KBytes) |
| Thumbnail |
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98 |
78 |
15 |
| Small |
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699 |
556 |
56 |
| Medium |
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1639 |
1304 |
158 |
| Large |
.jpg |
1 |
1304 |
589 |
Other relevant NASA Web sites:
• NASA Headquarters
• NASA History Office
• NASA Image eXchange (NIX)
• NASA Multimedia Gallery
• NASA Human Spaceflight
Updated Apr 5, 2011
• History Questions: NASA History Office
• Responsible NASA Official: Steve Garber
• Author: Michael Hahn. Editor: Dwayne A. Day
• Curator & Technical Questions: Erin Needham
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