Wright Flyer, First Flight, 1903

The Wright Brothers First Heavier-than-air Flight. On December 17, 1903, at 10:30 am at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, this airplane rose for a few seconds to make the first powered, heavier-than-air controlled flight in history. The first flight lasted 12 seconds and flew a distance of 120 feet. Orville Wright piloted the historic flight while his brother, Wilbur, observed. The brothers took three other flights that day, each flight lasting longer than the other with the final flight going a distance of 852 feet in 59 seconds. This flight was the culmination of a number of years of research on gliders. After the successful flights of December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur continued to perfect their plane. In 1909 the Army Signal Corps purchased a Wright Flyer, creating the first military airplane

Picture No

13346508

Media ID

47784964

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4200px x 3214px (1.6MB)

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Source

NASA