Wilbur and Orville Wright were not only the first people to fly an aircraft that was engine powered, they were also pioneers in the field of considerations regarding human factors in flight. While everyone else was busy designing aircraft with aerodynamic stability of high degrees, the Wright brothers deliberately designed less stable aircraft with centralized controls, modeled on the flight of birds.
Between 1901 and 1903, they worked at a location near Kitty Hawk, namely Kill Devil Hills, with a range of large gliders. This work resulted in the development of the first ever practical and human-interactive control system for aircraft roll, pitch and yaw, the sideways motion of the aircraft nose. December 17 of 1903 saw them making four powered and controlled flights in their first Wright Flyer. These flights took place over the Kitty Hawk dunes.
Over the next two years, the brothers made a number of flights at Huffman Prairie, close to their home town Dayton, where they used their more advanced planes, Wright Flyer II and Flyer III. Their work did not end here, and they went on to develop a practical in-flight engine power control, as well as a sensor for angle-of attack and a pilot-workload reducing stick-pusher.
The Wright's flight demonstrations during 1908-09, both in the US and in Europe, introduced the world of aviation to the coming age of man-controlled flight. Orville was also the first pilot to wear a seat belt. In addition, he introduced the rudder boost/ trim control, allowing pilots a greater control authority.
The flight training school run by the Wrights in Dayton had a flight simulator designed by the brothers. The Wrights were wise enough to patent their concepts of flight control and practical airplanes, and many of these concepts are still being used today.
Between 1901 and 1903, they worked at a location near Kitty Hawk, namely Kill Devil Hills, with a range of large gliders. This work resulted in the development of the first ever practical and human-interactive control system for aircraft roll, pitch and yaw, the sideways motion of the aircraft nose. December 17 of 1903 saw them making four powered and controlled flights in their first Wright Flyer. These flights took place over the Kitty Hawk dunes.
Over the next two years, the brothers made a number of flights at Huffman Prairie, close to their home town Dayton, where they used their more advanced planes, Wright Flyer II and Flyer III. Their work did not end here, and they went on to develop a practical in-flight engine power control, as well as a sensor for angle-of attack and a pilot-workload reducing stick-pusher.
The Wright's flight demonstrations during 1908-09, both in the US and in Europe, introduced the world of aviation to the coming age of man-controlled flight. Orville was also the first pilot to wear a seat belt. In addition, he introduced the rudder boost/ trim control, allowing pilots a greater control authority.
The flight training school run by the Wrights in Dayton had a flight simulator designed by the brothers. The Wrights were wise enough to patent their concepts of flight control and practical airplanes, and many of these concepts are still being used today.
