Invention of the Airplane

The invention of the airplane changed the way we travel and also made traveling very comfortable. Airplanes gave us the opportunity to explore different parts of the world. Tackling emergency situations like floods became much more easier. Airplanes are also an important part of the defense services.

Who Invented the Airplane
The Wright Brothers from the USA invented the first airplane. Wilbur and Orville, the Wright Brothers were born on 16th April, 1867 and 19th August, 1871 respectively. They didn't continue their education after high school and decided to open a bicycle repair shop. They used to study the experiments and research taking place in the field of airplane development. Their interest and passion for airplanes led to the development of the first heavier-than-air plane.

First Airplane to Fly
The Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville began working on the idea of building airplanes in 1899. They finally succeeded in flying the first airplane on 17th December, 1903. It was a historic day, since many efforts to manufacture an airplane had failed earlier.

Aerodynamics
The period between 1799 and 1809 was important from the point of view of airplane development. The fundamental concepts of aerodynamics were laid in this period by Sir George Cayley, an English baronet. He put forth the idea of inclined planes. The concept of inclined planes was relatively new at that time. The idea was to provide a flat surface in order to provide the necessary lift for flying.

Hang Gliders
Otto Lilienthal, a German aeronautical engineer, inspired the Wright Brothers to start their quest of inventing the first airplane. The hang gliders created by him completed many successful flights. However, these gliders lacked a control system and there was no facility to power them with fuel. During the flights, Lilienthal had to swing his torso in order to guide the glider in a particular direction.

First Airplane Invented
Wilbur and Orville Wright tried to overcome the limitations of Mr. Lilienthal's hang glider. They also used the concept of inclined planes in their first airplane. They fitted the plane with a 12 horsepower petrol engine and two propellers. The plane they developed was a biplane, with two main wings, one above the other. The two wings helped provide a greater lift for the plane. At last, on 17th December, 1903, the first flight of their airplane took place at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in the USA. It lasted for 59 seconds. Attaining a height of 120 feet, the plane covered a distance of 852 feet.

The plane developed by Wright Brothers had a three-axis control. It rotated along three different axes and in three motions,

• Pitch: This motion of the airplane helps in raising and lowering the nose.
• Roll: Rotation takes place along the longest axis of the plane in this motion.
• Yaw: The horizontal axis is rotated, in this motion of the airplane.

The rudder attached at the tail end of the plane served the purpose of navigation. Today's modern aircrafts too, follow these fundamentals set by the Wright Brothers.

Airplane History
Substantial work in the field of airplane development took place in the 19th century. However, there was a lot of interest among people regarding airplanes from the times of Leonardo da Vinci. Before the fundamentals of aerodynamics were discovered, airplane enthusiasts followed the ornithopter tradition. An ornithopter is a machine which uses the mechanism of flapping of the wings of birds. It works only in the development of small flying machines. To lift and propel a bigger airplane using this technique is thus, not possible.

Today's airplanes have become technologically advanced. The recently launched 'Airbus 380' is the biggest passenger airplane. It can carry 853 passengers and travel at the speed of 900 km/hr. From the invention of the airplane in 1903, to the spaceships of today, the aviation sector has undergone a sea change. The credit, of course, goes to the mavericks, the Wright Brothers. This incredible journey of airplane development pays a tribute to the great Confucius who rightly said, "A journey of a thousand miles, begins with a single step."