December 17th On this day in 1903, the Wright brothers made the first
manned and controlled sustained flight of a powered
aircraft.
The aircraft, known as The Wright Flyer, was a
wood and fabric biplane. They flew the plane Kitty Hawk
North Carolina. On the first flight Orville Wright flew low
over the ground for 120 feet for 12 seconds. The
brothers made three additional flights that day. The last
flight, with both Orville and Wilbur Wright aboard, was
the longest. The brothers flew 852 feet in 59 seconds.
Questions
1. Wind destroyed The Wright Flyer soon after the last flight. It was flipped over and
damaged beyond repair. How do you think the Wright brothers felt after this?