Wilbur Wright
Wilbur Wright (1867–1912) was an American aviation pioneer who, with his brother Orville, developed the first successful controlled, powered airplane.
Orville Wright: Orville Wright (1871–1948) was an American aviation pioneer who partnered with his brother Wilbur to develop and fly powered airplanes. His partnership with Wilbur combined experimentation, engineering, and piloting in the Wright brothers’ work.
Wright Cycle Company: The Wright Cycle Company was the bicycle business operated by Wilbur and Orville Wright in Dayton, Ohio. Its workshop and income supported the brothers’ early aeronautical experiments.
Wright brothers' 1902 glider: The Wright brothers’ 1902 glider was a controllable aircraft with movable rudder and wing-warping controls. Wilbur helped refine it into the first practical demonstration of three-axis aircraft control.
Wright brothers' patent: U.S. Patent 821,393, granted in 1906, covered the Wright brothers’ system for controlling a flying machine. Wilbur helped develop and defend the control system at the center of the patent.
Charlie Taylor: Charlie Taylor was a mechanic who worked for the Wright brothers and built the engine for the 1903 Flyer. His engine made the brothers’ powered-aircraft design practical.
Three-axis control: Three-axis control coordinates an aircraft’s pitch, roll, and yaw to direct its flight. The Wrights’ control system coordinated these three motions, making powered flight steerable.
Otto Lilienthal: Otto Lilienthal was a German aviation pioneer known for systematic glider flights in the 1890s. Reports of Lilienthal’s death prompted Wilbur to investigate the problem of human flight.
Wright Flyer: The Wright Flyer was the powered biplane that made the Wright brothers’ first sustained, controlled flights in 1903. Wilbur piloted its fourth flight at Kitty Hawk, which lasted 59 seconds on December 17.
Wright brothers' 1908 public flights: The Wright brothers’ 1908 public flights demonstrated their aircraft to audiences in France and the United States. Wilbur’s French demonstrations turned European skepticism into recognition of the Wrights’ achievement.
Octave Chanute: Octave Chanute was a civil engineer and aviation pioneer who exchanged ideas with the Wright brothers. His correspondence with Wilbur offered technical discussion and links to other experimenters.