HAPPY Orville and Wilbur day...

NW GUY

· In Memory - Born 120 years too late.

Joined Mar 22, 2018

·

6,393 Posts

Discussion starter · #1 · Dec 18, 2020

Only show this user

DECEMBER 17, 1903

Near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first successful flight in history of a self-propelled, heavier-than-air aircraft. Orville piloted the gasoline-powered, propeller-driven biplane, which stayed aloft for 12 seconds and covered 120 feet on its inaugural flight.

 

Ack Roe Nym

· What... me worry??

Joined Mar 25, 2020

·

858 Posts

#2 · Dec 18, 2020

Only show this user

An amazing feat that changed the course of human history. Imagine if they could see a modern aircraft.

Then again, if they could see how a modern airline was run, they’d have just said, “never mind”.

 

charliemeyer007

· reluctant sinner

Joined Jan 24, 2011

·

22,666 Posts

#3 · Dec 18, 2020

Only show this user

No doubt about it those guys were awesome. They invented the wind tunnel to study flight characteristics and the effects of changes in design/operating parameters.

 

B

browningv308

· Registered

Joined Sep 10, 2012

·

2,304 Posts

#4 · Dec 18, 2020

Only show this user

Their museum at Kitty Hawk is kinda interesting to see, looking at the airplane they built, it's amazing it flew as far as it did

 

Jdog67

· Registered

Joined Nov 28, 2013

·

11,099 Posts

#5 · Dec 18, 2020

Only show this user

The most amazing thing is how fast the technology advanced in the 20th century. We went from the Wright Brother's plane to the SR-71 in about 63 years.

 

P

phil74501

· Registered

Joined Oct 12, 2016

·

1,972 Posts

#6 · Dec 18, 2020

Only show this user

I'm, supposedly, related to them somewhere back along the way. My maternal grandmother's mother was related to them. I think they were her great uncles...something like that.

 

cujet

· Combat marxism Now!

Joined Sep 20, 2008

·

9,788 Posts

#7 · Dec 20, 2020

Only show this user

Orville lived to 1948, long enough to see some remarkable aircraft. Including the dawn of the jet age. So while he did not see modern airliners, he did see jet fighters that were clearly the forerunners to our current crop of fighters. As I understand it, he was fully aware of the development of aircraft like this:

 

MikeK

· Premium Member

Joined Jul 27, 2009

·

69,002 Posts

#8 · Dec 20, 2020

Only show this user

Jdog67 said:

The most amazing thing is how fast the technology advanced in the 20th century. We went from the Wright Brother's plane to the SR-71 in about 63 years.

Click to expand...

It's interesting to look back. My grandfather lived over 100 years. Born shortly after the Civil War, he went from an era of horses, steam trains and telegraphs, to seeing the first cars and the first flight. To seeing televisions, radios, telephones, X rays and modern medical care, the moon landing, airliners, atomic energy, early computers and you name it.

He was an poor uneducated farmer and didn't really know much about any of the stuff, but he always found it fascinating how fast things had progressed in his lifetime. It probably fascinated him more since he didn't understand much of how it worked. It must have seemed like magic of a sort.

 

NW GUY

· In Memory - Born 120 years too late.

Joined Mar 22, 2018

·

6,393 Posts

Discussion starter · #9 · Dec 21, 2020

Only show this user

WE Do things in this century that would get you burned at the stake 300 years ago.
We went from horse and buggy to Wright Bros to the moon in less than 70 years.

IF we hadn't been diching around in useless wars and chasing Utopian rainbows just think of where we could be now...