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To: SunkenCiv
"History credits Orville and Wilbur Wright for flying the world’s first aircraft....

NO IT DOESN'T.

The Wrights created the first successful powered, human-piloted, heavier-than-air craft. Someone else already had beat them to the punch on powered, human-piloted lighter-than-air craft, powered un-piloted heavier-than-air craft, and unpowered, human-piloted heavier-than-air craft.

But the king mac daddy, the first true "aircraft" (carrying a human passenger), was the Montgolfier brothers' hot air balloon in 1783.

11 posted on 02/10/2026 6:16:11 PM PST by Paal Gulli
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To: Paal Gulli

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Montgolfier-brothers


15 posted on 02/10/2026 6:26:10 PM PST by SunkenCiv (TDS -- it's not just for DNC shills anymore -- oh, wait, yeah it is.)
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To: Paal Gulli

Orville and Wilbur didn’t invent heavier than air flight, although they experimented heavily with gliders and kites. In that effort, they built upon a foundation laid by others.

They didn’t invent engines powerful enough to lift themselves. They outsourced the engine development.

Orville and Wilbur invented 3-axis control. Without that, powered, heavier than air, manned flight is impossible.

And that is why they were “first in flight”.


16 posted on 02/10/2026 6:38:38 PM PST by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: Paal Gulli; SunkenCiv

“”History credits Orville and Wilbur Wright for flying the world’s first aircraft....
NO IT DOESN’T.

The Wrights created the first successful powered, human-piloted, heavier-than-air craft... “


That credit actually goes to Gustave Whitehead who successfully flew a powered airplane in August of 1901 (without the ‘weight and derrick’ system used by the Wrights to gain forward momentum).

The Wright Flyer is on loan to the Smithsonian from a British museum ‘as long as no previously flown aircraft is known.’ So don’t think the Smithsonian will ever investigate...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustave_Whitehead


17 posted on 02/11/2026 5:29:57 AM PST by BBB333 ((The Power Of Trump Compels You!))
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