The Wright Brothers (Wilbur, Orville)
Wilbur,1867-1912; Orville, 1871-1948
Invented Airplane
by Rit Nosotro First Published:: 2003( )
On April 16, 1867 Wilbert Wright was born. He had two older brothers at the time. He was born in Millville, Indiana. His brother Orville Wright was born four years later on August 19, 1871. Their father was a bishop and he moved the family to Dayton, Ohio. They stayed there until 1878 before they moved back to their home on 7 Hawthom Street. Their mother gave them their educational and their father taught them intellectual skills. Orville was an average student. He dropped out of high school to start a printing shop. Wilber was a very good student. He would have graduated from high school but he had to move again. Disappointed, Wilbur had to stay at home and he couldn't go to college because he had an ice skating accident. It happened during the winter of 1885-1886. Wilbur was skillfully playing ice hockey when he was hit in the head. At first they thought nothing was wrong but then he started to have nervous palpitations of the heart. During the time that Wilbur was ill he took care of his mother who was dying from tuberculosis.
The first time the Wright brothers called themselves the "The Wright Brothers"
was when they started their own printing business at the ages of 22 and 18.
Then the Wright brothers bought two bikes. Then they started to repair bikes
for friends. After a while in 1893 they started their own bicycle repair shop.
Then, in 1896 they started to make their own bicycles called Van Cleves and
St. Clairs bicycles. One day while Orville was sick his brother heard about
the death of a German glider pilot and that sparked his interest for flying.
In August 1900 Wilbert built his first glider. Then he called the weather bureau
to look for a windy place to fly his glider. He chose the sandy area of Kitty
Hawk, South Carolina. The next year they built a better glider with a 22-foot
wingspan. This attempt failed so they tried a lot of different wing shapes and
in 1902 they tried yet another time. That glider was a great success. They glided
and made a record of 620 feet. Then they went back to Dayton and started to
work on building an airplane with a propeller and engine. Finally the finished
building the parts and shipped them to Kitty Hawk to build the airplane there.
When they got there Wilbur and Orville decided to have a coin toss. Wilbur won
and was the first one to try and fly the airplane.
"Do you think it will work," asked a man?
"I don't know," replied another.
While Wilbur was on the runway he stalled the engine at takeoff and crashed.
The plane took minor damage. The plane was fixed and then it was Orville's turn
to fly. The plane raced down the runway and was squeaking, rumbling, and splashing
which caused the people to cover their ears. He took off and his flight lasted
only 12 seconds but he covered over 120 feet.
Orville had accomplished something no one ever thought possible he flew. On September 21, 1908, Wilbur made his longest flight of 1 hour and 31 minutes and 25 seconds. On the morning of May 30, 1912, Wilbur died at the age of 45 in Dayton, Ohio of Typhoid. His brother Orville Wright died in 1948. In 1992 they built a national park that is located in Dayton Ohio. It was made in memorial for Orville and Wilbur Wright because they were such great inventors. The park has four different sections and each one has a different theme. The Wright brothers were the greatest partner inventers. Together they made an accomplishment that people only dreamed of, they flew.
