HISTORY OF WRIGHT BROTHERS
Early life
Early life
Wilbur Wright was born on
April 16, 1867, near Millville, Indiana. He was
the middle child in a family of five children. His father, Milton Wright, was a
bishop in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. His mother was Susan
Catherine Koerner. As a child Wilbur’s playmate was his younger brother,
Orville Wright, born in 1871.
Milton Wright’s preaching
took him on the road frequently, and he often brought back small toys for his
children. In 1878 he brought back a small model helicopter for his boys. Made
of cork, bamboo and paper, and powered by a rubber band to twirl its blades,
the model was based on a design by the French aeronautical pioneer Alphonse
Pénaud. Fascinated by the toy and its mechanics, Wilbur and Orville would
develop a lifelong love of aeronautics and flying.
Wilbur was a bright and
studious child, and excelled in school. His personality was outgoing and
robust, and he made plans to attend Yale University after high school. In the
winter of 1885-86, an accident changed the course of Wilbur’s life. He was
badly injured in an ice hockey game, when another player’s stick hit him in the
face.
Though most of his
injuries healed, the incident plunged Wilbur into a depression. He did not
receive his high school diploma, canceled plans for college, and retreated to
his family’s home. Wilbur spent much of this period at home, reading books in
his family’s library, and caring for his ailing mother. Susan Koerner died in
1889 of tuberculosis.
In 1889 the brothers started
their own newspaper, the West Side News. Wilbur edited the paper, and Orville
was the publisher. The brothers also shared a passion for bicycles- a new craze
that was sweeping the country. In 1892 Wilbur and Orville opened a bike shop,
fixing bicycles and selling their own design.
Developing the Airplane
Always working on
different mechanical projects and keeping up with scientific research, the
Wright brothers closely followed the research of German aviator Otto
Lilienthal. When Lilienthal died in a glider crash, the brothers decided to
start their own experiments with flight. Determined to develop their own
successful design, Wilbur and Orville headed to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina,
known for its strong winds.
Wilbur and Orville set to
work trying to figure out how to design wings for flight. They observed that
birds angled their wings for balance and control, and tried to emulate this,
developing a concept called “wing warping.” When they added a moveable rudder,
the Wright brothers found they had the magic formula-on December 17, 1903, they
succeeded in flying the first free, controlled flight of a power-driven,
heavier than air plane. Wilbur flew their plane for 59 seconds, at 852 feet, an
extraordinary achievement.
The Wright brothers soon
found that their success was not appreciated by all. Many in the press, as well
as fellow flight experts, were reluctant to believe the brothers’ claims at
all. As a result, Wilbur set out for Europe in 1908, where he hoped he would
have more success convincing the public and selling airplanes.
Fame
In France Wilbur found a
much more receptive audience. He made many public flights, and gave rides to
officials, journalists and statesmen. In 1909 Orville joined his brother in
Europe, as did their younger sister Katharine. The Wrights became huge
celebrities there, hosted by royals and heads of state, and constantly featured
in the press. The Wrights began to sell their airplanes in Europe, before returning
to the United States in 1909. The brothers became wealthy businessmen, filling
contracts for airplanes in Europe and the United States.
Wilbur and Orville always
took shared credit for their innovations, and maintained a close relationship
throughout their lives. Behind the scenes, however, there was a division of
labor. With his sharp instincts, Wilbur was the business mind and executive of
the operation, serving as president of the Wright company.
Death and Legacy
Wilbur fell ill on a trip
to Boston in April 1912. He was diagnosed with typhoid fever, and died on May
30 at his family home in Dayton, Ohio. Milton Wright wrote
in his diary, ““A short life, full of consequences. An unfailing intellect,
imperturbable temper, great self-reliance and as great modesty, seeing the
right clearly, pursuing it steadily, he lived and died.”
