Facts About the Wright Brothers

While the Wright brothers have their controversies, no one denies their contribution to aviation. They are an inspiration to most everyone who has piloted an aircraft. Today we will look into their past achievements and the impact they had on aviation.

Interesting Facts About the Wright Brothers

Below are a few interesting things you may not have known about Wilbur and Orville Wright:

• They were entrepreneurs – The brothers were unable to finish high school, but they were both very intelligent and interested in opening up their own businesses and being inventive. Orville opened a print shop in 1889, having designed and built his own printing press. Wilbur soon joined him, and they launched a weekly newspaper. After the popularity in bicycles increased, the Wright brothers opened a bike shop called the Wright Cycle Exchange. They later sold their shop to focus on aviation. 
• They fought a patent war – In 1906 the brothers were granted a patent for their glider. This patent was important because it outlined how to build a mechanism that could control an aircraft. Various other early aviators, such as Glenn Curtiss would bypass the patent by building ailerons to control pitch. After a fight over whether or not Glen Curtiss should profit from his flying machines, the Wright Aeronautical Corporation and Curtiss Aeroplane merged to form Curtiss-Wright Corporation, which is still in existence.
• They designed and built the first successful aircraft – The Flyer was the first powered, heavier-than-air machine ever to achieve a controlled, sustained flight with a pilot on board. The Flyer was powered by a 12 horse-power engine, delivering a maximum speed of 48 km/h (roughly 30 mph). The first successful flight occurred on December 17th, 1903, lasted 12 seconds, covered a distance of 37 meters (40 yards).

Here at CW Flight, we can’t deny the impact that Orville and Wilbur Wright had on the aviation community. To learn more about how to become a pilot, please contact the flight school here at CW Flight located in Salt Lake City, Utah.