First flight 80 years ago

Orville and Wilbur, the Wright brothers, are given credit for the first airplane flight, in 1903, in the United States. However, inventors in Italy and Russia also have some claim to making the first airplane flight, due to differences in measurements and recording techniques.

The first flight, made December 17, 1903, was not impressive by today's standards. The aircraft barely got off the ground, flew just ten seconds and covered 120 feet (about 40 metres). Four flights were made that day, the final one lasting 57 seconds and covering 852 feet. The Wright brothers' most important contributions to airplane design was designing an effective propeller and a workable rudder to give their aircraft more control than possible with a balloon, kite or even a glider. However, European industry and designers soon overtook the Americans, led by pioneers like A.V. Roe of Britain, Louis Bleriot of France and Antony Fokker of the Netherlands. US aircraft design and manufacture would not catch up again until the Second World War.