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Wilbur and Orville Wright

by Craig from USA


Do you know who invented the airplane? Wilbur and Orville Wright did! Wilbur was born on April 16, 1867 on a small farm in Millville, Indiana. Orville was born on August 19, 1871 in Dayton, Ohio. Wilbur died on May 30, 1912. Orville had a heart attack on October 10, 1947. Together they made their lifelong dream to fly come true.


In 1900, the Wright brothers decided to make their first try at building an airplane. They decided to go to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The Wright brothers made their first glider like a giant kite. It glided up to fifteen feet, then went out of control. They sent it up again and the wooden frames broke when it crashed. Instead of testing it at Kitty Hawk, they decided to go to Kill Devil Hills. Their glider at Kill Devil Hills flew 300-400 feet. The flights lasted about fifteen seconds.

In 1901, they created a new airplane. “It was the biggest glider they ever built.” Instead of the pilot using his feet to control the wings, the pilot used his hips. The brothers returned to North Carolina on July 10, 1901. At their campsite, they built a wooden shed to protect the glider. While they were there, it rained for a week. When the rain stopped, they tested it again and it flew for nineteen seconds. But Wilbur still had trouble controlling it. Their distance with the plane was still about 400 feet, but they had trouble with “wing warping” (which means steering). Wilbur thought they would never be able to fly. But they continued to try.

In 1902, they decided they would rely on what they knew, so they built their own plane. Their new glider was bigger than all of the others. On September 19, their plane was ready to be tested. They tested it at Kill Devil Hills. Some of their best flights were up to 500 feet! They installed a system that when the wings moved, the tail would move too. One flight that Wilbur flew lasted 26 seconds and flew 622 ½ feet.

The Wrights needed an engine for their flyer. In six weeks they got the engine they needed and were ready to test it out. They needed a propeller, too. So, they decided to make their own. Instead of just one propeller, they needed two. This airplane would be bigger than their last one. But something was wrong with their propellers. By Monday, December 14, they were going to test their new plane. They made a rail system that would help the glider gain enough speed to take off. It worked! It was the first flight not lifted into the air using people to throw it up like a kite.

The Wright brothers achieved their lifelong goal. They invented the airplane. In my opinion, they are important heroes. They were always determined they would invent the airplane. But if their parents hadn’t encouraged them, they wouldn’t have done it. If it wasn’t for their amazing invention, I wouldn’t be able to visit my aunt and uncle who live in Arizona. Also, if they hadn’t invented the airplane, everyone who dreamed of flying wouldn’t have been able to. Most people like to travel and they wouldn’t be able to without the Wright brothers’ invention. That is why the Wright brothers are my heroes.

Page created on 1/17/2005 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 1/17/2005 12:00:00 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.