Wright Brothers Times

vaccuum

Vacuum cleaner Invented

1901

Wrights Predict Man will not fly

(Summer) At Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, the Wright Brothers flew the largest glider ever flown, with a 22-foot wingspan, a weight of nearly 100 pounds and skids for landing.

1902 wing

However, many problems occurred: the wings did not have enough lifting power; forward elevator was not effective in controlling the pitch; and the wing-warping mechanism occasionally caused the airplane to spin out of control. In their disappointment, they predicted that man will probably not fly in their lifetime.

In other news
  • The typewriter is invented.

typewriter
  • First motor-driven bicycles are developed.
  • Blood Groups are discovered

first aid

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Wrights return to drawing board

(Winter) In spite of the problems with their last attempts at flight, the Wrights reviewed their test results and determined that the calculations they had used were not reliable. They decided to build a wind tunnel to test a variety of wing shapes and their effect on lift. Based upon these tests, the Wrights now have a greater understanding of how an airfoil (wing) works and can calculate with greater accuracy how well a particular wing design will fly. They plan to design a new glider with a 32-foot wingspan and a tail to help stabilize it.

 

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