Wright Flyer
device · 1903 · Electric age
The first controlled powered aeroplane flight.
Developer: Wright brothers.
What it is made of
- Roller chain — has part. The propellers were driven from the engine by bicycle chains — the Wrights were bicycle makers.
Principles and materials it uses
- Wing warping — uses. Roll was controlled by wing warping.
- Wind tunnel — uses. The Wrights built their own wind tunnel.
- Wood — is made of. The frame is spruce and ash.
- Cotton — is made of. The covering is muslin.
- Aluminium — is made of. The engine crankcase is cast aluminium.
- Steel — is made of. The Flyer's wires, bracing and engine parts were steel.
- Railway track — uses. The Flyer had no wheels: it took off along a wooden rail.
History: what it evolved from and what it influenced
- Bicycle — was inspired by. The experience of the Wrights’ bicycle shop — chains, light structures, the idea of controlled instability.