THE E R S

Getting it Wright

HT B R O T H Is it a bird? In 1896, Otto Lilienthal died in a gliding accident, but the

WRIG Americanr •av1i8at6i7o-n19pi1o2neers

When they were constructing
their plane, the brothers studied
how birds fly. They noticed the
way that birds tilt their wings
to steer.
Wilbu 8
Wright brothers were far from put off. Feeling sure that they
could improve Otto’s glider design, they set out to build their own.
They created miniature wings (called airfoils) and tested these in a
homemade wind tunnel. Then, they built a series of gliders and
took turns flying them at Kitty Hawk, a beach in North Carolina,

Orville • 1871-194 USA, where the sand allowed for a relatively soft landing.
By December 1903, the brothers felt ready to attempt a
The propeller

W
ilbur and Orville Wright had a dream,
learned from failure, and persisted. Their
interest in flight took off when, as boys, their dad
bought them a toy helicopter. They always liked
fiddling with machines and making things – when
Orville was 12, he made kites that he sold to other children.
In 1895, a famous mathematician and engineer called Lord
Kelvin, stated that “heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible”.
But just eight years later, the Wright brothers flew the first aeroplane.
Wilbur and Orville began their careers by building their own printing press,
but the two newspapers they published were not successful. When the bicycling
craze hit the USA, they opened the Wright Cycle Company, selling and
repairing bikes. However, the brothers were still fascinated by flight, and by
a gliding pioneer called Otto Lilienthal.
spun to drive the
plane forwards.
powered flight. They attached an engine and a rudder to the glider.
First, Wilbur attempted to fly the aircraft, but the engine
stalled on take-off. Three days later, on 17 December
The rudder
turned the 1903, they tried again with Orville piloting – and
plane left it worked! The world’s first powered flight lasted
and right.
just 12 seconds, but it was the beginning of a
new era. At 300 kg (660 lb), their flying
machine was certainly heavier than air.
The Wright brothers had achieved their
dream, and changed the world forever.
These flaps made the
plane go up and down.

The pilot laid down

Building a flying
Lift
Thrust on his stomach,
next to the engine.

Drag
machine was their
How do
Weight
aeroplanes fly? boyhood dream.
The plane’s engine creates a forward force called
thrust. As the plane moves forwards, air rushes over
the wings to create another force – lift. For a plane to fly,
thrust and lift must be stronger than the opposing The first plane was
forces of drag and weight. called the Wright Flyer.

10 11

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 CHARLESCHARLES
CHARLES ADA ADA
ADA
BABBAGEBABBAGE
BABBAGE LOVELACE
LOVELACE
LOVELACE
BritishBritish
mathematician
mathematician BritishBritish
mathematician
mathematician
British
1791-1871 mathematician
1791-1871 British mathematician
1815-1852
1815-1852
1791-1871 1815-1852
C CCharles Babbage was a bright but sickly boy, who almost
harles Babbage was a bright but sickly boy, who almost
harles
died of fever
died
studied at home
ofBabbage
when
died
of
he was
fever
fever
andatgot
when
when
to learn
was
he
heaOften
eight.
was
about
bright
was toobut
eight.
eight.
whatabout Often
sickly
illOften
for
interested
too boy,
school,
too ill
forwho
ill he
for
almost
school,
most himhemost
school,
he A AAda Lovelace
family. Her
dawas
dafamily.
a lively
Lovelace
Lovelace
father,
waslittle
wasLord
the poet
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girl, little
a lively
lively
born into
poetlittle
Byron,
girl,a born
hadgirl,
Lord many
Byron,
famous
born
into a famous
into
lovers
had manya famous
and lovers and
studied home and got to learn what himinterested In 1820, Charles In set up the
1820, Charles set up the left his wifeleftfamily.
within Her
weeks
his wife father,
of Ada’s
within thebirth.
weeks poet Lordbirth.
Lady
of Ada’s Byron,
Byron hadnot
did
Lady many did
Byron lovers
not and
Astronomical Society with
Astronomical some
Society with Lady Byron Lady Byron
– maths. Hestudied
– grew at
maths.uphome
Heto grewandup
become got tobecome
atoman learn
withaboutmanwhat
amany gifts:interested
with he was
many him
rich,
gifts: he most
wasfriends
rich, to promote In 1820, Charles set up thesome
scientific
friends
Astronomical research.
to promote
Society scientific
with someresearch. want Ada left
to
wanthisAda
becomewifeatowithin
poet
becomeweeks
like her
a poetof Ada’s
dad, so her
like birth.
madedad, Lady
her Byron
sofollow
made herdid
strict notloved
follow strict
maths. Lady
lovedByron
maths.
– maths.
had good looks, He
famous
had good grew
looks, up
friends,
famousto become
andfriends, a
studiedand man with
at Cambridge many
studied at Cambridge gifts: he was
University,University,rich,
It is still activefriends
today.
It is still
to active today. want
rules and study Ada to
intensely.become
Ada a poet
worked like her
hard, dad,
but so
never made
lost her follow Lord Byron called
strict Lordmaths.
loved Byron called
promote scientific research. rules and study intensely. Ada worked hard, but never lost her her“the princessherof “the princess of
Lord Byron called
becoming ahad good looks,
professor,
becoming abut famous
professor, friends,
never giving
but and
a lecture!
never studied
giving at Cambridge University,
a lecture! It is still active today.
creativity,rules
writinganda study
creativity, book intensely.
when
writing Ada
she was
a book when worked
12 called
she was hard, but with
Flyology,
12 called never lost her
Flyology, parallelograms”.
with parallelograms”.
her “the princess of
Charlesbecoming
wasCharles a professor,
so cleverwasthat hebut never
designed
so clever that he giving
the a lecture!
first-ever
designed thecomputers. In his
first-ever computers. In his creativity,
designs for designs
a winged writing
forflying a book
machine.
a winged when
flying machine.she was 12 called Flyology, with parallelograms”.
Charles
time, peopletime,
worked
people was
out so clever
worked out that
calculations by he designed
themselves,
calculations the first-ever
which
by themselves, computers.
led towhich
errors ledthat In his
to errors There is a smaller
that There is a smaller
Ada was designs
17Ada for
when ashe
winged flying machine.
version of the There
Analytical
version
is aofsmaller
the Analytical was 17met
whenCharles
she met Babbage
Charles at Babbage
a party. at a party. Ada wrote Ada wrote
could havetime, people
serious worked
consequences, out calculations
such as ships by themselves,
becoming which
stranded
could have serious consequences, such as ships becoming stranded due to dueledtoto errors that
Engine, now finally
Engine,
version of now finally
the Analytical They got onThey Adagot
very wason17
well, when
Charles
very she
calling
well, mether
Charles Charles
callingBabbage
“Lady Fairy”
her “Lady at Fairy”
a party. to Charles to Ada
to Charles
wrote to
working, in London’s
working, in finally
London’s explain that toexplain
Charlesthat
navigationcould haveCharles
mistakes.
navigation serious
mistakes. consequences,
wanted
Charles to replace
wantedsuchpeople
toasreplace
shipswithbecoming
the with
people stranded
the due to Science Museum.
Engine, now
Science Museum. because ofThey
her got on
fascination
because veryfascination
of her well,flying.
with Charles Hecalling
with was her
He“Lady
impressed
flying. was by Fairy” by
impressed the Analyticalexplain
to
the Analytical
working, in London’s that
navigation
steam-driven machines
steam-driven mistakes.
that he Charles
machines that wanted
designed: hethe to replace
“Difference
designed: people with
Engine”
the “Difference the
Engine” because of her fascination with
her mathematical flying.
skill He
andwasAda impressed by Engine could be
the Analytical b
Engine could
Science Museum. her mathematical skill and Ada programmed. Engine
programmed.
steam-driven machines that hewhichdesigned: thecomplete
“Difference Engine” could be
and then, later,
and the
then,“Analytical
later, Engine”,
the “Analytical would
Engine”, which would complete was excited her by
was mathematical
his ideasby
excited askill
ofhis andofAda
ideas a programmed.
and
more difficult then,
more later, calculations.
calculations.
difficult the “Analytical
However, his Engine”,his
designs
However, which
were would
complex
designs were complete
complex calculationwas excited by
engine. his ideas of a
calculation engine.
moreanddifficult
very calculations.
expensive
and very to However, his
build – atoworking
expensive designs
build –model were complex
a working model calculation engine.
wouldn’t andbevery expensive
completed
wouldn’t be for to build
150
completed years!– a150
for working
years!model
Number cruncher
Number cruncher
Charles wouldn’t
became beincreasingly
Charles completed for 150 years!
grumpy
became increasingly in grumpy in
The ItalianNumber
The Italiancruncher
mathematician Luigi Menabrea
mathematician Luigi published
Menabrea published
old age. Hisold Charles
beloved
age. Hisbecame
wife increasingly
died very
beloved died grumpy
wifeyoung very young in
The
a paper about Italian
Charles’
a paper mathematician
about Analytical Luigi which
Engine,
Charles’ Analytical MenabreaAdapublished
Engine, which Ada
old
as did threeasofdidage. His
histhree beloved
children.
of his wife
This, died
together
children. very young
This, together
translatedaand
paper about
expanded.
translated andCharles’
It seemsAnalytical
expanded. Ada, rather
It seems Engine, whichthan
thanrather
Ada, Ada
aswith
with the failure did ofthree
thehis of hisof
most
failure children.
his mostThis,
ambitious together
ambitious translated
Charles, understood and expanded.
that machines
Charles, understood Itmachines
thatmightseems
do Ada,
tasks rather
might than
do tasks
plans, led to with theledfailure
frustration
plans, andof sadness.
his most
to frustration and ambitious
sadness.
far beyondCharles,
counting
far understood
beyond counting–that
numbers theymachines
numbers might
had–potential
they haddo tasks
potential
plans, led to frustration and sadness.
far
to write secretbeyond counting
codessecret
to write or compose numbers
codes or music.
compose– they
Thismusic.had potential
is whyThis is why
to write
she is often issecret
regarded
she codes
oftenasregardedor compose
the first computer
as music.
the first This is why
computer
The Analytical
The Analytical Engine Engine she
programmer. is often regarded
Sadly, Ada Sadly,
programmer. as the
died young first
Ada died computer
and the
young and the
The
Charles’ computer Analytical
was
Charles’ designed to
computer wassolve Engine
designed to solve music sheprogrammer.
imagined Sadly, Ada
music shea imagined
computer died young
acreating
computer and the
creating
tricky calculations
trickyand
Charles’ store information.
calculations
computer anddesigned
was store information.
to solve music
wouldn’t sound sheasound
for
wouldn’t imagined
hundredforayears.
acomputer creating
hundred years.
A series of cards
trickywith
A series holes would
of cards
calculations andbestore
with holesinformation.
would be
fed into the machine
Afed intotoofthe
series tell
machine
cards with to tell would be
holes
wouldn’t sound for a hundred years.
it what to do.fed
it what to do.
into the machine to tell
it what to do.

110 111
110
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