What was the Wright brothers' first airplane called?
Quick answer
The Wright brothers’ first successful powered airplane was the Wright Flyer (sometimes called the Flyer I or 1903 Flyer). On December 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville Wright flew it for 12 seconds, covering 120 feet (37 m), the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft.
Key facts
- Aircraft
- Wright Flyer (1903)
- First flight
- December 17, 1903
- Place
- Kill Devil Hills, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
- Where it is now
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C.
The four flights of December 17, 1903
| Flight | Pilot | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orville | 120 ft (37 m) | 12 seconds |
| 2 | Wilbur | 175 ft (53 m) | About 12 seconds |
| 3 | Orville | 200 ft (61 m) | 15 seconds |
| 4 | Wilbur | 852 ft (260 m) | 59 seconds |
After the fourth flight, a gust of wind flipped the Flyer and damaged it. It never flew again.
Why Kitty Hawk?
The brothers chose the sandy dunes of North Carolina’s Outer Banks for their steady winds, soft landing ground and privacy from reporters.
What made the Wrights succeed
- Three-axis control: They solved how to steer an aircraft, using “wing warping” (twisting the wings) to roll, an elevator to pitch and a rudder to turn. This is still the basis of how planes are controlled.
- Their own wind tunnel: In 1901, they tested about 200 wing shapes and found that published data was wrong.
- A light engine: Their mechanic, Charlie Taylor, built a 12-horsepower aluminum engine.
- Efficient propellers: They worked out that propellers act like rotating wings.
Who were the Wright brothers?
Wilbur (1867–1912) and Orville (1871–1948) ran a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio. Their bicycle-building skills helped them build light, strong structures. Neither attended college.
From 12 seconds to the jet age
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1903 | First powered flight |
| 1927 | Charles Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic |
| 1932 | Amelia Earhart’s solo Atlantic flight |
| 1969 | Humans land on the Moon, 66 years after Kitty Hawk |
A piece of the Wright Flyer’s fabric traveled to the Moon on Apollo 11; see the first person on the Moon.
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