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Wright, Orville
| (1871-1948) and Wilbur Wright (1867-1912), U.S. aviation pioneers, developed the first powered, sustained, and controlled airplane (1903) and built and flew the first fully practical airplane (1905). As printers and bicycle makers, the two brothers had extraordinary technical ability in solving mechanical-design problems, and their bicycle shop funded their aeronautical experiments from 1899 to 1905. On Dec. 17, 1903, the brothers flew four times, distances of 120-852 feet, 12 to 59 seconds, at Kill Devil Hills, 4 miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. By October 1905, at Huffman Prairie near Dayton, they flew for up to 39 minutes at a time, performing circles and other maneuvers. While pursuing patents, the Wrights stopped performing until May of 1908, followed by demonstrations in France and Italy and later Germany. The Wright Company incorporated in 1909, establishing a factory in Dayton and flying field and flight school at nearby Huffman Prairie. After Wilbur’s death from typhoid fever in 1912, Orville assumed leadership until retiring in 1915. He remained active until his death, however, serving as a member of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NASA’s predecessor). Orville was born Aug. 19, 1871, Dayton, Ohio, and died Jan. 30, 1948, Dayton. Wilbur was born April 16, 1867, near Millville, Indiana, and died May 30, 1912, Dayton. See also: Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park (internet site). |
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