The Wright brothers

 

Wilbur and Orville Wright were bicycle repairers. Nicknamed the “Bishop boys” being the last two boys of the family. Their interest in aviation started with a toy helicopter purchased for them by their father when they were young, 😁, they broke and repaired the helicopter.

Their father’s job came with relocating and affected their schooling. In 1896, Wilbur and Orville started their bicycle company. That same year, world aeronautics recorded important events which affected aviation growth. One of these is the death of Otto Lilienthal in Europe while he was experimenting his glider for flight.

Otto’s death drew the interest of the Wright brothers into aviation research. Using Otto’s method, calculations and seeking correction to his faults, they started their flight experiments.

At the start of a new century in 1900, the brothers commenced flying their machines in the air. For a decade, they made significant progress, additions and corrections to the data of their predecessors.

In 1903, December 17th, Wright Flyer made the historic 1st powered flight piloted by Orville with Wilbur running beside.

After the first flight, the Wright flyer never flew again because it was damaged by the wind. After this, more successful flights and prolonged travel time was recorded by either brothers.

For most of the decade, they tried convincing governments they’ve built a successful flying machine and were willing to sell, but their efforts didn’t yield much results. When they later got the attention of the US military and French government, they spilt, Wilbur went to Europe while Orville carried out his demonstrations at Washington DC.

In the tests, Orville was badly injured. He joined his brother in Europe along with their sister - Katherine. Wilbur has more successful flights and before the end of the decade he had flown in New York City, establishing their prominence in the industry.

During this time they had many lawsuits and war on their patent. The legal struggle was on when Wilbur died in 1912 from typhoid fever. But two years later they were vindicated.

Orville sold their company in 1915 and became an elder statesman of aviation. Both brothers trained pilots in their lifetime.