A century of flight: in 1903, the Wright brothers of Dayton, Ohio, made the dream of human flight a reality.

The strong winds whipping through Kill Devil Hills the morning of December 17, 1903, seemed to be a good omen (sign). This was to be the day. On a stretch of sand near the village of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, a biplane (plane with two sets of wings) started down a makeshift track of two-by-four planks. Built by Wilbur and Orville Wright, the plane soon lifted into the air. Twelve seconds later, the Wright Flyer, with Orville at the controls, came back to rest in the sand.

The plane had flown 120 feet, little more than half the wingspan of a modern Boeing 747-400 jet. But the accomplishment was enormous. For the first time in history, humans had produced a heavier-than-air machine with an engine that was able to lift itself of the ground and sustain flight under control of its pilot.

The Wright Flyer flew three more times that damp, cold day. Each time the distance improved. The final flight lasted 59 seconds and traveled 852 feet: Soon afterward, a strong gust of wind flipped the plane over, damaging it beyond immediate repair.

Orville sent a telegram home to their father: "Success four flights Thursday morning." A historic day's work was done.

"Warping" the Wings

People had flown before the Wright brothers, in hot-air balloons and gliders. But Orville and Wilbur were able to develop a plane with enough lift and control to take off, fly, and land under its own power. Through years of experimentation, they had devised a system that allowed the pilot to steer by "warping" the wings--dipping or raising either set of wings. A hand control manipulated (controlled) two rudders in the back of the Flyer, while twin propellers in front gave the plane the thrust (forward motion) it needed to fly.

Believe it or not, only two newspapers reported the first flights, which remained largely unknown for several years. But the brothers' breakthrough would soon make them famous worldwide.

"The Third Wright Brother"

Once home in Dayton, Ohio, Wilbur and Orville worked to improve their design Their 1905 model staved in the air for up to 39 minutes. It could fly in circles and do other maneuvers (movements).

In 1909, the brothers founded their own company and signed a contract to manufacture a plane for the U.S. Army. But no matter how far they traveled, the two remained rooted in Dayton. Their Father, Bishop Milton Wright, had nurtured his children's sense of curiosity. Wilbur and Orville would later credit their interest in flight to a small helicopter toy their father had once bought for them.

Wilbur, who was older by four years, was said to be the visionary, while Orville loved to "tinker." He once made a printing press from a tombstone and a baby buggy.

While in their early twenties, the brothers opened a bicycle shop, where they made and sold bicycles. The two were very close to their only sister. Katharine, who, at age 14, rook care of the household after their mother died.

Kate ran the bike shop and recruited her friends to help with her brothers' many experiments. A graduate of nearby Oberlin College, she became a high school teacher. But her life would remain closely tied to Wilbur and Orville's.

When Kate and Orville joined Wilbur in France, hi 1909, Kate became the "social manager" of the family business. She presented a charming face to the royalty and many aristocrats members of the upper class) who flocked to see her brothers' demonstrations. French newspapers called her "the third Wright brother," and the French government presented the trio with the Legion of Honor award.

But it was Wilbur and Orville--mischievous boys who never graduated from high school--who would be remembered most. The two "lived together, played together, and in fact, thought together," Wilbur once said. They also changed the world together. Can you imagine life without the airplane?

THE HISTORY OF FLIGHT

www.scholastic.com/flight

Your Turn: WORD MATCH

1. omen           A. sign
2. biplane        B. movements
3. thrust         C. controlled
4. manipulated    D. two sets
                     of wings
5. maneuvers      E. forward motion

ANSWERS

1. A

2. D

3. E

4. C

5. B

LESSON PLANS

OBJECTIVES

Students should understand

* Orville and Wilbur Wright invented and flew the first power-driven, heavier-than-air flying machine in 1903.

TEACHING STRATEGY

Ask students to imagine a world without air transportation. Ask: "How would people travel? How would goods be transported?"

BACKGROUND

Wilbur and Orville Wright ran a printing shop and a bicycle shop before 1903. Their successful business ventures provided them with the funds to pursue their interest in flying. Wilbur and Orville built a wind tunnel to experiment with more than 200wing models. Through their tests, the brothers drew up the first reliable tables of air pressures on curved surfaces.

THINKING SKILLS

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: How did the Wright Flyer compare to the other airships of the era, such as gliders and hot-air balloons? (The Wright Flyer was the first aircraft that could take off, fly, and land under its own propulsion. Previous airships relied on wind power for flight and lacked the necessary controls for greater maneuverability.)

COMPREHENSION: Why did French newspapers nickname Katharine "the third Wright brother"? (Katherine helped promote her brothers' business ventures while the family traveled throughout France. She acted as a liaison between her brothers and wealthy European investors who flocked to see Wilbur and Orville's flying demonstrations.)

ACTIVITY

WRIGHT BROTHERS TIME LINE

The successful flight of the first Wright Flyer was the culmination of years of experimentation by the Wright brothers. Instruct students to create a time line detailing the brothers' work leading up to that historic flight near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in 1903.

STANDARDS

SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5-8

* Science, technology, and society: The Wright brothers' invention of a flying machine in 1903 revolutionized the world.

* Individuals, groups, and institutions: Orville and Wilbur Wright played key roles in the invention of the airplane and the development of air transportation.

RESOURCES

PRINT

* Sullivan, George, The Wright Brothers (Scholastic, 2003). Grades 5-8.

* Grant, R.G., Fright: The Trials and Triumphs of Air Pioneers (DK Publishing, 2003). Grades 5-8.

WEB SITES

* The Wright Brothers

www.wrightexperience.com/

* The Wright Flyer

http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/ aero/wright/

QUICK QUIZ

SPECIAL: A CENTURY OF FLIGHT, PAGES 18-19

Match the clue in the left column with the answer in the right column.

-- 16. Orville Wright  A. where the Wright Flyer
                          first flew in 1903
-- 17. Wilbur Wright   B. where the Wright
                          brothers' flying demonstrations
                          attracted many
                          aristocrats
-- 18. North Carolina  C. once made a printing
                          press from a tombstone
                          and baby buggy
-- 19. Chip            D. was considered to be the
                          visionary brother
-- 20. France          E. the Wright brothers'
                          home state

ANSWERS

16. C

17. D

18. A

19. E

20. B