"Chris Clarke" (shiftsandgiggles)
08/08/2014 at 10:10 • Filed to: planelopnik, wright brothers, le mans
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"Chris Clarke" (shiftsandgiggles)
08/08/2014 at 10:10 • Filed to: planelopnik, wright brothers, le mans | 1
| 1 |
Years after their first successful flight in Kitty hawk, the Wrights were holding out for the best business deal they could find. With Europe on the forefront of aeronautics, and a potential manufacturing deal in the works, the packed up their model A and headed to France.
With a friend in the automobile business, Wilbur set up shop on the racetrack and re-built the plane that had been shipped from the U.S. After much pressure from the media accusing the Wrights of bluffing and under the critical eye of aviation pioneers !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , Wilbur Wright flew two complete figure-8s around the field. The flight lasted less than two minutes. But the crowd was electrified.
On August 8, 1908 the Wrights confirmed their place as the real international experts of flight. Their success was based on their ability to vary the shape of the wing and cause the craft to bank making turns effortless. In the following days, Wilbur made a series of technically challenging flights, including figure-eights, demonstrating his skills as a pilot and the capability of his flying machine, which far surpassed those of all other pioneering airplanes and pilots of the day.
The French public was thrilled by Wilbur's feats and flocked to the field by the thousands. The Wright brothers catapulted to world fame overnight.
ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
> Chris Clarke
08/08/2014 at 10:32 |
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This.
When people say that the French had beaten the Wrights, it's only technically true. The Wrights were not the first to fly in Europe, but they were far more advanced than their European counterparts.
This is also why the Wrights are THE FIRST people to fly an airplane. It doesn't matter that some German immigrant in Connecticut may, or who are we kidding he did not get that flaky-looking pile of rubble into the air.
Creating momentary lift does not equal flight. If you booked a flight and were told that the plane could only travel in a straight line, you'd be pissed. Flying is worthless without complete control, and the Wrights were THE FIRST to figure that out.