The Origin of Flight
People were always interested in learning how to fly. They first tried to make planes that
flapped their wings, but it was a very long time before they could create one that worked.
Instead, in the 1780's, the Montgolfier brothers from France made the first hot air
balloons. These balloons used hot air to lift them, but soon they were changed to use
hydrogen gas. Next, people set their sights on creating an airplane that was similar to a
bird when it soared. Sir George Cayley from England created the first design for a
"gliding plane." In 1849, Cayley developed a glider that could carry a child for many
meters.
Finally, Wilbur and Orville Wright from Dayton, Ohio in the United States were
able to create the first airplane. They saw that birds twisted their wings to control their
flight. The Wright brothers imitated this and created kites and gliders with cords to move
the wings. They later added a propeller and an engine to their gliders. On December 17,
1903, the Wright brothers flew in their plane, the Kitty Hawk Flyer. This was the first
actual flight of its kind.