The Air Age Begins
Orville and Wilbur Wright were successful printers and bicycle makers in Dayton, Ohio, but what they really wanted to do was fly. On September 25, 1903, they arrived in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and started preparing for their historic flight. The brothers had been testing their aircraft in Kitty Hawk since 1900, but this time they felt the design would work.
|
|
|
World Almanac for Kids
|
|
1903 flyer
|
The 1903 Flyer was a skeletal flying machine built of spruce and ash. The 40-foot-long wings were covered with cotton cloth. It had a 12-horsepower gasoline engine and weighed just over 600 lbs. The Flyer was ready on December 14. Wilbur won a coin toss and took the controls. The first try was a failure. The Flyer stalled on takeoff and did not get off the ground. But three days later, the plane was ready for another attempt. It was Orville's turn to take the controls.
About 10:35 a.m. on December 17, the Flyer lifted into the air in the face of a gusting wind. For 12 breathtaking seconds, Orville flew the aircraft. It traveled 120 ft. before landing with a skid. The brothers flew three more times that morning. On the fourth flight, the Flyer was damaged, bringing an important day in aviation history to an end.
Transporte: Comienza la era del aire (Spanish Version)