[driftdiver]

And yet those others weren’t able to accomplish anything with their machines.

[MasterGunner01]

Unlike the others, the Wright Brothers invented the science of Aeronautics by their systematic and carefully reasoned approach to heavier-than-air flight.

The Wrights’ famous first flight was the last flight of the day at Kittyhawk. All the others that day had failed. On the last flight, the Wright Flyer became airborne under its own power and flew 120 feet. Higher and longer flights were made on the following days.

The Wright's achievement was not seen as important at the time by the media of the day, but the Wright's being home for Christmas was.

[NonZeroSum]

The Wrights were the first to do controlled heavier-than-air flight.

[dila813]

Article to diminish their achievement, First sustained powered flight.

[Scoutmaster]

What I find interesting about Whitehead is that people have built replicas of his 1901 'airplane' and have flown them. Makes it a little harder simply to dismiss the affidavits and newspaper articles about his 1901 flights.

But - hey - I'm no expert.

[camle]

dunno. i kinda favor Gus whitehead myself, fellow nutmegger and all.;-)

[Celtic Conservative]

No, the Wright brothers were credited with performing the worlds first manned, powered, controlled and sustained flight. All of these elements were necessary before flight could become a practical and useful technology. that's the true signifigance of their achievement.

CC

[SJSAMPLE]

I have NEVER considered the simple act of buoyancy to be “flight”.