The Wright Stuff MGA AVIA 1101 Aviation Perspectives

 

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 24^th) 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.