The Wright Stuff
The story of the Wright brothers is an incredible one when
you consider what it took to not only invent this machine, but you also have to
learn how to fly the darn thing. What I
didn’t realize was their patent was not for inventing the airplane but how to
control it thus wing warping.
They discovered that the engineering data was incorrect so,
on to of building the plane, they must design and build a wind tunnel and test
wing designs. (The wind tunnel is a story in itself, of which the design hasn't
changed in all this time. They got that
right as well!) To support the bike
shop, they employed several people to repair and build the bikes, which
included their sister, which enabled them to focus on the airplane. Another key employee of the shop was Charles
Tayler who built the engine which powered the aircraft. He is celebrated to this day when aircraft
mechanics around the world recognize him as the first aircraft mechanic and
reguard his birthday (May 24th) as AMT day (AVIATION 2021).
According to the narrator of the American Experience film
(Potter, 2009), the brothers would discuss things like brothers, at the top of
their lungs. What I found interesting is
they would switch sides and debate with the same tenacity. I found that surprising because that is very unusual.
Have you ever don that with a sibling
(I’m an only child so I had no one to argue with but myself and it’s not the
same.) I think this put them in a unique
place because they worked both, or all, sides of a problem. I don’t know if they would have done it that
way if they were designing a new invention today because they would have been
emailing or texting and it’s not the same.
What they did was remarkable, especially considering the
technology of the day (or lack thereof) and they didn’t get filthy rich doing
it, as compared to say Bill Gates and Microsoft. In an interview with the St. Louis Post
Dispatch on November 7, 1943, Orville said that he was disappointed in what
their invention was used for, nothing but destruction because they thought the
“[airplane] would bring lasting peace to earth” (Akpan 2015). He died a few years after the end of WWII and
saw the devastation their airplane had brought but wasn’t able to witness its
overwhelming capability to bring good.
As I said in my introduction, without those two guys invention,
I dare think what I would be doing for a living. Thank You Orville and Wilbur, Thank You.
Akpan, N. (2015, August
20). 8 things you didn't know about Orville Wright. PBS.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/8-things-didnt-know-orville-wright#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWe%20dared%20to%20hope%20we,Dispatch%20on%20November%207%2C%201943.
AVIATION MAINTENANCE
TECHNICIAN DAY - MAY 24. National Day Calendar. (2021, May 19). https://nationaldaycalendar.com/aviation-maintenance-technician-day-may-24/.
PotterNextChapter. (2009,
June 19). The Wright Stuff - The Life of The Wright Brothers | Part 2.
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoFib7jWOLE.
