The first successful airplane was invented and flown by the Wright brothers on December 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, USA.

Key details

  • The aircraft was called the Wright Flyer.
  • Orville Wright made the first powered, controlled flight that day; it lasted about 12 seconds and covered roughly 120 feet.
  • This 1903 flight is widely recognized as the first sustained, controlled, heavier‑than‑air powered flight, which is why 1903 is considered the year the first plane was invented.

A bit of background

  • Earlier inventors like George Cayley and Otto Lilienthal built gliders and developed key ideas about wings and control, but they did not achieve powered, controlled flight.
  • The Wright brothers combined engine power, propellers, and a practical control system, which turned experimental flying machines into a true airplane in 1903.

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