## Step 2 - Reading

#### Aviation pioneers

You are going to read a text about the brothers who invented airplanes.

- Read the text and do assignment 1.
- Read the text again and do assignment 2.

#### Assignment 1

- On your own read the text and think of headings (tussenkopjes) for the numbers 1-4.
- In your group discuss your headings.

Aviation pioneers The Wright brothers were two American aviation pioneers generally credited with inventing, building, and flying the world's first successful airplane. Wilbur was born on April 16, 1867 and died on May 30, 1912. Orville, his younger brother was born on August 19, 1871 and died on January 30, 1948. 1 ... They made the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft with the Wright Flyer on December 17, 1903. In 1904–05, the brothers developed their flying machine to make longer-running and more aerodynamic flights with the Wright Flyer II, followed by the first truly practical fixed-wing aircraft, the Wright Flyer III. The Wright brothers were also the first to invent aircraft controls that made fixed-wing powered flight possible. 2 ... The brothers' breakthrough was their creation of a control system, which enabled the pilot to steer the aircraft effectively and to maintain its equilibrium.This method remains standard on fixed-wing aircraft of all kinds. From the beginning of their aeronautical work, the Wright brothers focused on developing a reliable method of pilot control as the key to solving "the flying problem". This approach differed significantly from other experimenters of the time who put more emphasis on developing powerful engines. Using a small home-built wind tunnel, the Wrights also collected more accurate data than any before, enabling them to design more efficient wings and propellers Their first U.S. patent did not claim invention of a flying machine, but a system of aerodynamic control that manipulated a flying machine's surfaces. 3 ... The brothers gained the mechanical skills essential to their success by working for years in their Dayton, Ohio-based shop with printing presses, bicycles, motors, and other machinery. Their work with bicycles, in particular, influenced their belief that an unstable vehicle such as a flying machine could be controlled and balanced with practice. From 1900 until their first powered flights in late 1903, they conducted extensive glider tests that also developed their skills as pilots. Their shop employee Charlie Taylor became an important part of the team, building their first airplane engine in close collaboration with the brothers. 4 ... The Wright brothers' status as inventors of the airplane has been subject to counter-claims by various parties. Much controversy persists over the many competing claims of early aviators. Edward Roach, historian for the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, argues that they were excellent self-taught engineers who could run a small company, but they did not have the business skills or temperament to dominate the growing aviation industry. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_brothers

#### Assignment 2

- Answer the questions on your own.
- Discuss your answers in your group.
- Check your answers on the Answers page.

Questions

1. Why are the Wright brothers famous?
2. When did they make their first controlled flight?
3. How many Flyers did they build?
4. What was their breakthrough?
5. What was the difference with other experimenters?
6. How did the Wright brother know what to develop?
7. Where did they live?
8. What did they do for a living?
9. How did they become good pilots?
10. Who helped them with their inventions?

| #### Answers