Pilot Proficiency

Wright Brothers: Little Known Secrets to their Success

Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 12:31 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The Wright brothers achieved controlled, powered flight with a unique canard design that prioritized pilot control over inherent stability, a key factor in their success despite its eventual obsolescence.
Their aircraft's configuration quickly became obsolete, as it diverged from earlier, more stable "conventional" designs proposed by figures like Cayley and Pénaud, which ultimately became the industry standard.
The article argues that the debate over who flew "first" is less important than recognizing the collective achievements of the Wrights and other pioneering aviators.

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The following article, Wrightophilia, is from the December 2003 print issue.

Peter Garrison taught himself to use a slide rule and tin snips, built an airplane in his backyard, and flew it to Japan. He began contributing to FLYING in 1968, and he continues to share his columns, ""Technicalities"" and ""Aftermath,"" with FLYING readers.