The history of flight

Wilbur and Orville Wright – the Wright brothers – were the first men to fly a powered aircraft. They called the aircraft they had built The Flyer. It weighed 317 kg and had a seven-metre wingspan. On December 17, 1903. Orville Wright flew the aircraft for 12 seconds. This was the first successful, powered flight in history. It took place at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in the United States. On November 9, 1904, Wilbur Wright flew a second aircraft named Flyer II for over five minutes.

The Orville brothers began building aircraft in 1899. They first built gliders after watching birds in flight. They built and sold bicycles and they built the engine for The Flyer in their workshop with the help of their shop mechanic, Charlie Taylor.

Questions to ask about The history of flight

1. Who was the first man to fly a powered aircraft?
2. Where did this flight take place?
3. When did this flight take place?
4. What was the name of the aircraft?
5. How heavy was it?
6. How wide were its wings?
7. Who built the engine that powered the aircraft?
8. What did the Wright brothers do before they built aeroplanes?
9. When was the first flight in a powered aircraft lasting over 5 minutes?
10. Who was Charlie Taylor? What did he do?

ANSWERS

1. Who was the first man to fly a powered aircraft? ORVILLE WRIGHT
2. Where did this flight take place? KITTY HAWK, NORTH CAROLINA
3. When did this flight take place? 17 DECEMBER 1903
4. What was the name of the aircraft? THE FLYER
5. How heavy was it? 317 KG
6. How wide were its wings? 7 METRES
7. Who built the engine that powered the aircraft? WRIGHT BROTHERS AND CHARLIE TAYLOR
8. What did the Wright brothers do before they built aeroplanes? BUILT AND SOLD BICYCLES
9. When was the first flight in a powered aircraft lasting over 5 minutes? NOVEMBER 4, 1904

Who was Charlie Taylor? What did he do? HE WAS A (BICYCLE) MECHANIC WHO WORKED FOR THE WRIGHT BROTHERS.