Wilbur and Orville’s fasciation for aeronautics developed at a young age, and led to their first experiment in 1899. The brothers created a kite that could be steered and operated from the ground (Dolasia, 2008). Once they accomplished control of the kite, the brothers began building models that could carry a person called “gliders” (Dolasia, 2008). Wilbur Wright used three principles to build a “flying machine” (Tobin, 2003). According to James Tobin’s (2003) To Conquer the Air, Wilbur lists the requirements of a “flying machine” as “(a) to build wings of sufficient lift, (b) to build an engine of sufficient power; and (c) to balance and steer the machine in flight” (p. 74). However, before the brothers could ever accomplish the power of flight they had to first master control. Another central element of the Wrights’ glider development was “wing warping,” the action of “achieving the differential in the angle of the wind of each wing half by twisting the wing tips in opposite directions” (Crouch & Jakab, 2003, p. 50-51). The Wright brothers’ structural idea for the kite and gliders came from Chanute-Herring’s biplane of 1896 (Crouch & Jakab, 2003). The biplane was a “trussed,” two-leveled structure, which after some modifications the brothers believed would best suit their “wing warping” mechanism (Crouch & Jakab, 2003). The gliders changed in shape, size, and appearance from 1900 to 1903, progressing from the design of its predecessor. The ever-evolving gliders were the result of tests performed at Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills as well as experiments the Wright brothers conducted in their workshop back in Ohio.
The gliders of 1900 and 1901 were similar in overall structure. In First in Flight, Stephen Kirk (1995) describes the gliders as “short and stubby,” without a tail, and a horizontal rudder at the front (p. 42). The rudder was controlled by hand and the wing warping cables located in the back of the glider were controlled by the pilot’s feet.
The 1901 glider was heavier and twice as long as the original glider with rectangular shaped wings and rudder. After some failed “manned kite” attempts, the brothers began to question their design. They returned to their shop in Ohio and performed experiments with wind tunnels, which provided the appropriate wing structure and length necessary for flight (Wescott & Degen, 1983).
After extreme modifications, the Wright brothers developed a new gliding apparatus, the glider of 1902. This glider was a completely different model. The elevator was leaf-shaped and required different motions for operating. A hip operated wing warping system was constructed. The glider weighed more, and a tail was added (Tobin, 2003). The addition of the tail and Orville’s idea of modifying it from a fixed two-paneled apparatus to a moveable single panel was a critical element to the Wright brothers’ success that season (Tobin, 2003). After the 1902 season, the Wright brothers had mastered two of their three requirements to achieve flight: size of wings and control of steering and balance (Tobin, 2003). They were now ready to embark on building a powered “Flyer” (Wgescott & Degen, 1983, p. 107).
The 1903 Flyer, “whopper flying machine” (Kirk, 1995), was the largest design to date. Weighing 750 pounds, with wings measuring 401/2 feet each. This plane was powered by a small gasoline engine, which they built with the help of shopkeeper and machinist Charlie Taylor, and used to power two propellers behind the wings (Kirk, 1995). The new designs also called for a two-paneled moveable tail (Wescott & Degen, 1983). Due to the machine’s massive size, it was difficult for a man to transport and maneuver the machine from camp to Kill Devil Hills. To solve this problem, railings were utilized to wheel the Flyer along the beach (Kirk, 1995). The Flyer also operated with different criteria than the gilders of pervious years. While pervious gliders focused on the principle of balance and control during flight, the “whopper flying machine” requirements were to take off from even ground, run on its own power, maintain a constant speed, and land at a higher point than take off (Kirk, 1995). It was this flyer that led the Wright brothers to success and fame.