First Flight: The Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Airplane

The Wright brothers' distinct personalities are vividly depicted, while a series of graphic features trace their progress towards development of a practical flying machine. Featured are a foreword by astronaut John Glenn and a colorful foldout illustrating the 1903 Wright Flyer. National Park Service Handbook 159. F

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Pilots, teachers, students, and others interested in the history of aviation would enjoy this book.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.com!

Michelle gave it 5 stars and wrote: "Excellent and thorough recounting of how Wilbur and Orville Wright methodically developed airfoils with the best lift and aircraft controlling mechanisms in order to be the first to invent an engined aircraft capable of carrying a person. It was amazing that someone didn't beat them to it since they were only spending part of the year on "flying machine" research and the rest of the year on their bicycle business. They were ahead of other inventors, however, merely by having each other to bounce ideas off of. If they needed a new machine or tool to help them in their pursuit, they built it. This was a great book and I'd recommend it to airplane enthusiasts or anyone researching the origins of manned flight."

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2055242.First_Flight

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY - Article: FIRST FLIGHT: The Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Airplane, January 6, 2003

"Most important, Heppenheimer not only presents a detailed portrait of the brothers' groundbreaking and painstaking work in the workshop that "was the focus of their lives," but also reintroduces to the historical record their many technological and business adventures after the famous flight at Kitty Hawk."

http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-471-40124-7