An Intriguing Idea:
Wright Brothers were not the first to be intrigued with the thought of flight. A few men before them such as, Leonardo da Vinci, Sir George Cayley, Otto Lillenthal, Samuel Pierpont Langley, and Octave Chanute also entertained the idea of flight while researching the possibility of men flying. As the Wright Brothers curiosity of flight flourished they began to research what they could find on what little had been published on the subject of flight.
In 1899, Wilbur wrote the Smithsonian Institution requesting information on previous flight experiments and experimenters. His goal was to inform himself on everything that was already known in regards to flight. The Smithsonian replied providing Wilbur with a limited selection of pamphlets and a list of available books. Included in the list were previous researches, Samuel Pierpont Langley and his book Experiments in Aerodynamics, along with Octave Chanute and his book Progress in Flying Machines (National Park, 2011). Both men provided inspiration for the brothers and later were contacted for their opinions and advice.
The Wright Brothers were not the first to come up with the idea of flight. However, they did build on the ideas of others. Both Brothers wanted to become experts on all the information that was known at the time on the subject of flight. They reached their goal through research and experimentation.
In 1899, Wilbur wrote the Smithsonian Institution requesting information on previous flight experiments and experimenters. His goal was to inform himself on everything that was already known in regards to flight. The Smithsonian replied providing Wilbur with a limited selection of pamphlets and a list of available books. Included in the list were previous researches, Samuel Pierpont Langley and his book Experiments in Aerodynamics, along with Octave Chanute and his book Progress in Flying Machines (National Park, 2011). Both men provided inspiration for the brothers and later were contacted for their opinions and advice.
The Wright Brothers were not the first to come up with the idea of flight. However, they did build on the ideas of others. Both Brothers wanted to become experts on all the information that was known at the time on the subject of flight. They reached their goal through research and experimentation.