I was watching all this programs on Discovery, History Channel and Nova about the Wright's flyer and even when I already know that they were bicycle makers it doesn't stop to amaze me how they apply their bike making knowledge to create one of the most important inventions, is just amazing.

truly is amazing, fatty

I think only bike makers could have developed powered flight. The Wright brothers understand lightweight construction, aerodynamic efficiency and how to control a vehicle by balance.

They probably could've done it regardless of what they're profession might have been. They were intuitive, persevering, and clever. Which is not to say that knowing how to build bikes didn't help them. The two things that I find most amazing are that they actually built the engine, and that they designed and built the first wind tunnel and did testing to find the ideal shape of the wing.

Could only bike makers have done it? Well, they were inspired by the work of Otto Lilienthal, who had a fair amount of success with gliders, but I believe no experience with bikes. On the other hand, he died in a glider crash.

Well, maybe if they'd let Lance ride the re-enacted Kitty Hawk flight this week, it would have made it off the ground? They probably just needed someone in there who knew something about bikes, not sume chump.

Koffee

Hahaha...Oh I see, picking on engineering students huh?

Just ones who don't know anything about cycling!



Koffee

To be fair, many of the early automobile makers started as bicycle makers too.

Speaking about the Wright Brothers, did you know that Orville Wright lived long enough to see (or at least hear about) the sound barrier being broken by manned flight?

Think of it. Orville builds the first manned heavier-than-air powered aircraft that flies what - 120 feet. In his lifetime, the jet aircraft is breaking the speed of sound. Fantastic.

actually, they had their mechanic build the engine

Let´s remember the Wright bros was the first POWERED flight , gliders had been flying in Europe for at least 30 years before that famous flight .
Everybody remembers Linburgh , who remembers the first transatlantic flight that of Alcock and Brown .

Sorry can´t spell names , they´re not in the Dictionary (dyslexia , which I can spell , weird )

First unpowered heavier than air flight was 1849, designed by George Cayley. His first model glider, built according to aerodynamic principles, flew in 1799.