Who Invented the Airplane

The idea of human flight had been the stuff of dreams and mythology before the first airplane was invented. In light of this eternal ambition of human beings to soar in the sky, it is important for us to know who invented the airplane in the history of mankind.

Though many people came out with various models of machines that could glide in the sky, the concept of maintaining one's position in the air is one that developed over time. The industrial revolution opened up new doors for the human race, and this provided a suitable source of energy to actually make an airplane take off from the ground, rather than have it release itself off an elevated structure.

The answer to 'who invented the airplane' can be traced back to the Wright brothers of America in the early 20th century. Based on the many models of gliding airplanes before this, Wilbur Wright and Orville Wright created the first controlled airplane that could take off from the ground by itself, and that could be maneuvered in the air. Rather than being at the mercy of the wind for direction and speed, the Wright brothers designed an airplane that could go anywhere the pilot desired.

The Controversy
As mentioned already, the dream of flying is something that has haunted mankind for many centuries. All legends and stories of religion also speak of flying vehicles in the air, and as a result of this there have been numerous attempts in the past to invent a controlled airplane. The Wright brothers invented their flying machine in 1903, but in 1906, a Brazilian living in France and going by the name Alberto Santos-Dumont, successfully flew a proper fixed wing airplane. There are many historians who answer the question of 'who invented the airplane' with Dumont's name, as they believed that the Wright brothers simply created a model that utilized the gliding principles already in place.

In fact, when we speak about who invented the airplane first, we must also take into consideration the case of one Clement Ader from France. In 1890 he was witnessed flying an airplane that he named 'Eole', albeit at a height of 12 inches from the ground and for a distance of about 50 meters. By 1892, the height of this airplane had increased to 2 feet, and it could cover a distance of about 200 meters at a stretch. Why Ader is not given as much credit as the Wright brothers, no one knows. But the truth of the matter is that he played a vital role in the invention of the airplane for mankind, as the Wright brothers' model was based on this one as well.

The Wright Brothers
Nine months before their successful flight in December 1903, the Wright brothers filed a patent for a 'flying machine', so this was obviously something that they had been working on for some time, and they were quite sure of its success. Based on this, it becomes quite apparent that the inspiration for the airplane of the Wright brothers lay in Ader's airplane.

On the first day of testing their invention, the airplane made by the Wright brothers rose up to a height of 10 feet, traveled about 120 feet, and all in the space of 12 seconds. These figures went up later that same day, and they finally recorded a flight of about 59 seconds in order to confirm to the world, that it was in fact the Wright brothers who invented the airplane.

Their earlier prototypes were an assortment of gliders and unmanned machines and once they figured out how to seat a man who could control the flight mid-air, the world quickly began to take notice. This shot them to prominence and instant fame in the world's eye, and their design quickly inspired many other scientists like Dumont. Pretty soon these airplanes became more capable of control, and started shuttling passengers over relatively small distances. In a matter of a few years the first armed airplanes for the purpose of war were also introduced to the world. This invention literally changed the way countries went to war with each other, and the race for gathering stronger and faster fighter airplanes began.

Man's dream of flight was fulfilled and today we have massive airplanes that carry thousands of tons over millions of miles. Airplanes that can cause massive and large-scale destruction have also become the norm, and every country in the world has a considerable air force at its disposal. All this began with the mere whim of human beings to soar in the sky like the birds.

Also see the following:

• How do Birds Fly
• How Do Airplanes Fly
• Invention of the Airplane

The debate of who invented the airplane and when, is one that has gone on for years and has many sides to it. The Wright brothers are credited for these winged machines, but there are many other individuals who contributed to the cause as well, and their names must not be forgotten.