Wright Brothers' Flying Machine FULL SPECIAL | NOVA | PBS America

The secrets of the Wright Brothers' innovative genius are explored in this historic episode, as NOVA marks the 100th anniversary of powered flight. Their first successful flight, on North Carolina's Outer Banks, took place in December 1903. NOVA examines a working model of the Wright Model B, first flown publicly in 1908. #PBSAmerica #NOVA #WrightBrothers #Aviation #History
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Wright Brothers' Flying Machine | NOVA | PBS America
• Wright Brothers' Flyin...

[@weldmachine]

When watching this video, it makes me feel like going into my workshop and building something just as amazing. The thought is there, what to build is my only question ?? I always marvel at what others do in their life. It would be a life well spent IF I could find something that would make a difference. Hopefully one day, I can.

[@nationalelectronicssrilanka]

Wilbur Wright did not 'drop out' of high school. He completed the curriculum, but due to his family relocating at about the time of his graduation, he never received his diploma. Orville DID drop out after completing 3 years of high school. This would have been noteworthy these days, but back then is was pretty common, and both brothers would have been considered fairly well educated

[@markjmaxwell9819]

Some extremely smart and inventive men . They built on the failures of past flyers and combined the failures and successes into a fantastic machine with many many designs of their own making . It wasn't just the aircraft they designed and then flew that changed the world but other brand new inventions that ended up being used for other purposes. The first wind tunnel and the first complete aircraft control system were just two of the inventions that have changed the world. The engine they had designed and built and then redesigned and improved upon was a huge innovation in itself. Obviously they had a firm grasp of what was needed to get the job done and some innovative ways to do it. Very mechanically minded men that had a knack for inventing things and used bicycle repairs and technology to help attain the goal they were pursuing and the vision to make powered flight a reality for humanity. We certainly are an inventive species the innovations from the start of recorded history are amazing. 😎👍

[@venkateshkodigudla4514]

.telugu movies of top actors

[@marcosbastos8634]

Americans still do not know their own history!😅

[@ralphperryman]

​@@marcosbastos8634sect

[@roberttreborable]

@@marcosbastos8634 Films like this should be shown in schools.

[@marcosbastos8634]

@@markjmaxwell9819 This information does not correspond to the truth, the flyer never flew with its own engines, only from I908 onwards with French engines!

[@johndoyle4723]

Thank you, amazing documentary. In some ways Spacex used the model of launch, crash/explode, learn and resolve the problem. The Wrights were truly something special.

[@robertofelicio7397]

Brazilian Santos Dumont.

[@GigaBit-i2j]

Alberto Santos Dumont. The first man that flew an airplane in the world.

[@aker1993]

Hahaha

[@Retroaria]

Exactly #WrightBrothersFirstPublicFlight1808

[@GigaBit-i2j]

@Retroaria who belive Santos Dumont was the first man to Fly an airplane, is sure about it. It is based in facts. Who believes anyone else did it before him, has faith, because there is no proof. That is why there is this polemic. It mixes fact with faith.

[@przemog88]

We havve plenty of evidence for various flights made by Wright brothers in years 1903-1905.@@GigaBit-i2j

[@pauloferraz.7974]

Santos Dumont, o resto é filme de Hollywood..

[@cruisepaige]

21:00-just wonderful!

[@FPVREVIEWS]

Bernoulli's theory accounts for only about 20% of the lift generated by most wings.. Wrights knew it wasn't that simple. Hence the wind tunnel. Their problem solving process and approach to the problem was genius. they got almost everything wright..

[@FPVREVIEWS]

@big_nose_johnny flight and the understanding of lift has changed since the wrights. The telling of lift using only Bernoulli principle is most likely a fault of the documentary script, and was probably not completely believed by the wrights. hence the wind tunnel. use of a wind tunnel that early, and discarding the best data that they had, means that they realized they did not understand lift completely, and needed to experiment. just be cause you achieve flight does not mean that improvement is not possible. otherwise why improve anything?

[@allangibson8494]

The Wrights created a wind tunnel because they realised the published aerodynamic data from Otto Lilienthal was wildly wrong. It wasn’t a problem with Bernoulli at all - it was the specific three dimensional application.

[@FPVREVIEWS]

@@allangibson8494 Bernoulli was right, his theory is correct. it's real, just not the whole picture. Yes, they needed a complete solution. ironically, we still use wind tunnels today, even with CFD.

[@allangibson8494]

@johnnytheprick The Wright brothers stated that they found errors in Otto Lilienthal’s tables that they were working from. That’s WHY they built a wind tunnel. Bernoulli works - his tables are however for closed conduits so need adjustment for open path and two surfaces flows. Wings are further complicated because the flow isn’t always across the wing (ie spanwise flow) or even attached to the wing (stalled conditions where the flow at the surface can be trailing edge to leading edge). The change in pressure with change in velocity occurs just as Bernoulli predicted - the velocity vector and magnitude is however not simple as it would be in a closed conduit.

[@onlinelearningguide]

10:13 great to put it like this!

[@talalansardeen2470]

Thank you 👍

[@mariosolano6644]

SIMPLY AMAZING

[@deolamit]

bro it,s amazing

[@TheJapanChannelDcom]

41:00 Airshows are still unneccessarily dangerous. Low altitude aerobatics is a bad idea.

[@turkeytrac1]

Great vid, buy if you had involved those who build flying model aircraft, they could've built the plane in 1/2 the time. The skills haven't vanished, modelers still use them.

[@pruephillip1338]

Back in the 1980's there was this movie about the Wrights and their work. Can't find it now. There was a scene I recall where Curtis gets a peek at the Wright flyer and figures out the tail aileron idea. Anyone know what that movie was called?

[@outerrealm]

The Winds of Kitty Hawk 1978?

[@pruephillip1338]

@@outerrealm Don't think it was, but the time certainly is correct.

[@Needcollegehelp]

The genius of the Wright Brothers inventors and mechanics no college degrees like Steve Jobs and Wozniak who started Apple Computer. Sure there were others before the Wright Brothers but they are not American. This is the birth of the domestic American aviation industry that eventually led to the aerospace powerhouse that is the United States today. Ingenuity, creativity, risk-takers the ingredients of American character greatness.

[@AndreLuiz-gk1mf]

Santos Dumont

[@rogerturner5504]

You haven't done the work.

[@Retroaria]

#WrightBrothersFirstPublicFlight1808 SD 1806 dois anos antes

[@mfgt4595]

Just after these lot , a French guy flew to Anglesey with the intention of flying to Ireland, I think he did it too, I know he crashed on Anglesey, to you that's an island in North Wales, Sir Fon in Welsh.

[@JorgeGalvao-vz8so]

The father of aviation is the brasilian man, Santos Dumont!

[@turbofan67]

That pilot had every intention of taking off. If the plane was as unstable as he says, he should have just cut the engine well before the end of the runway.

[@HMASJervisBay]

They have done books and movies, but if one had the ability to go back who would be the ten most desired to be eliminated before their inventions were raised. Name who most would pick.

[@michaelgriffin2128]

If you do you research, you'll find a New Zealand farmer by the name of Richard William Pearse, back in 31st March 1903 some nine months before the Wright Brothers, made the first flight and landing of a heaver than-air machine and he is credited with designing the tricycle undercarriage, flaps and steerable nosewheel. Also, you will find the Australian inventor Lawrence Hargrave who’s picture is on the Australian 20 Dollar note, was in contact with the Wright Brothers for many years before they flew and gave them all of his drawings and designs for flight surfaces and aircraft. Cheers Michael

[@francishooper1649]

It was near Waimate in the South Island - there are newspaper articles describing several powered flights. The Wrights were not the first in the USA - they stole the plans from a German immigrant.

[@eduardomeller6926]

@General Melchett Of course, he is not American. History is written by the dominant class/country. Facts are not that important. Before the Wright brothers show anything, a Brazilian called Santos Dumond was flying in Paris so anyone could see. Before Dumond, there is a German called Gustave Albin Whitehead, an english called Percy Pilcher and a Scottish who´s name I don't remember.

[@pruephillip1338]

The Wrights studied all the available literature before adding their own two cents. They declare that, and indeed, had no choice - that's how you do things. They get the credit because their own invention really worked. After France the Europeans declared the Wrights made them look like children.

[@Negi2468]

@@pruephillip1338 All these anti-american ppl have a huge chip on their shoulder

[@gghhhfghgh]

@@pruephillip1338 estudaram tanto?????? Como o flyers I conseguiu voar pesando 340 kg com piloto com apenas 12 HP de potência?????? Nem as replicas conseguem voar

[@SebTheFrenchGuy]

And today we have F22 and Rafale ! It went very fast.

[@sissytincker5178]

Now that's wot I càll interesting fu sure ...!!!

[@voornaam3191]

25:02 Does that famous pilot fly with one eye only? Why does he have a surrealist painting on the glass in front of his wright eye? Was he crazy?! He looks like a mad man. Charles Mad Lee. Agreed?

[@voornaam3191]

17:21 About stability, do you know the Ercoupe planes? Those planes are different, the control is far more simple than the traditional ones. No rudder pedals needed. So the landing gear (or the "undercarriage") is exceptionally strong, allowing you to land at some angle regarding the runway. A very very sturdy and pilot friendly plane. And what happened? Many pilots did not even TRY it themselves. Because it was different. This is exactly how introducing CVT in cars was a disaster. People simply don't trust that anymore, though some car manufacturers have completely solved the technical issues. Apply only the right type of gearbox oil (car nerds are right this time), only buy the cars that are famous for a rock solid CVT transmission, and learn how to drive during traffic jams, you really must engage Neutral when your speed equals zero. It is different from the usual gearboxes. But the design is Dutch, it works great on small engines, there is a special high power and high torque version for trucks, but the problem was your American family cars, and the engineers beefed up the low powered belt design. To be honest, I have seen some KZbin video's, and my conclusion is, customer expectations often were not met. We were told the transmission was okay, and in fact there were issues, often a week after your guarantee years had passed, maybe the car sellers didn't really care, yeah, what do you expect, this is an old car, by now. No offense to the decent car companies, they simly help you, they want you to be their client. But be honest, it simply costs them time and money, nobody wants bad gearboxes. Belts worn out too early? Then your car does not drive a single yard or meter or inch. Oops... Seen a video on a large and heavy suv, when it's freezing cold, the CVT oil is not good enough, and using lots of power plowing through a snowy dirt road, well, a traditional gearbox can handle such conditions better. It does not break down. But still, maybe that special truck version (it has a snake-like push belt, instead of a belt that is pulling) is the obvious solution for heavy duty vehicles like SUV's or terrain cars. Okay, this was my CVT story, but do you see how "new" concepts can be complicated? That CVT is smart and saving fuel and driving very very okay, but practise is not that easy, things did go wrong. Let's hope it survives and gets developed further. Maybe electrical cars could need it, one day. You never know. Realy, do check the Ercoupe story, it was an interesting airplane design. If you are in a position to buy a plane, you should really think about a vintage Ercoupe. These are smart planes.

[@macwilliambasilio4128]

Who built an airplane that effectively took off alone, was the Brazilian Santos Dumont. The Whigth brothers flew a device using a catapult, just as modern planes take off from an aircraft carrier. They simply didn't have a motor with enough power to make their device take off by itself.

[@pruephillip1338]

Sustained, powered and controlled are what defines the invention of the plane. Others did well with some of these things, the Wrights got it all - including the science of flight through the maths and the wind tunnel.

[@pruephillip1338]

@big_nose_johnny Something that stays up as long as the fuel lasts, rather than a glorified descent or glide.

[@jecelassumpcaojr890]

Note that they added a catapult in 1904. Their 1903 flights were under their own power, though you can argue if they could have happened in still air. It wasn't technical details that made the Coupe Ernest Archdeacon prize go to Dumont three years later, but that you had to do it in the presence of a crowd in Paris, which he did and the Wrights didn't until later (see their 1908 demonstrations in Europe).

[@mikedunn7795]

@johnnytheprick Sustained means until the gas tank runs dry.

[@macwilliambasilio4128]

@johnnytheprick What is a "doco", man? Speak right, please.

[@franciscojavierlazaropinel8454]

The stability of a bicycle is being compared with that of an airplane and there they are no longer right. A bicycle relies more on the gyroscopic effect: es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gir%C3%B3scopo That of an airplane is more like that of a ship. Another thing is the control system, but that is another story. Also, that the first to really fly was Santos Dumont, who, unlike the Wrights, always shared his data with anyone who wanted to.

[@EpicureanHikers]

Bicycles don't rely on gyroscopic effect. Therefore I stopped reading your comment

[@franciscojavierlazaropinel8454]

@@EpicureanHikers hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbasees/Mechanics/bicycle.html kzbin.infohDFfpOg6zwY?si=QW7LiEa0GEImL5DG

[@JuandeFucaU]

this video is almost as old as aviation itself now.

[@drjohn5801]

Yet again the Smithsonian choose to completely ignore the more than significant contributions of the one person whom those Wright brothers owe so much to and without whom they would never have ever flown - Charles (Charlie) Taylor. He was not only responsible for the (complete) design and sole construction of the engine, he also built their wind tunnel and aided far more to the overall success than is widely known. Evidence is hidden in the Wright brothers utter refusal to allow Charlie to fly, as he was considered too great an engineering asset to the Wright Co. Shame on the Smithsonian for completely ignoring him in this documentary, do some research and you will find out that this hidden truth was and continues to not be accidentally buried. Luckily many aviation enthusiasts, mechanics and aeronautical engineers around the world know the whole story. With Charles Taylor being recognized by the FAA (Charles Taylor Mechanic Award) and the Boeing Company's innovative "Charlie Works" team, his name lives on....

[@voornaam3191]

Yeah, Charles Taylor. There must be biions of Charles Taylors. Why didn't that man have a name like TAFKAP?! EVERYBODY knows Prince, but who the Holy Fuck is this zillionth Taylor? What a stupid name for such a good man. Ever met a smart Taylor? Change your name, if you are Taylor. Or be ignored and forgotten. Because you deserve it.

[@Negi2468]

Charlie Taylor was a Wright brothers employee working off of Wright design notes.

[@gghhhfghgh]

Charles Taylor criou um motor inútil de apenas 12 Hp de potência que nunca fez o flyers um voar. Esse suposto vôo de 1903 e o maior fake news da história!

[@shri081]

@Dr John Thank you so much for pointing out the Charles Taylor story to me….I did some research on my own…and realised how integral he was to the enterprise….not an exact measure for comparison….but like Wozniak was to Jobs…so was Charlie Taylor to he Wright brothers….one with a vision…and one with the acumen to bring said vision to life…the latter gets misplaced in history way too often….but thanks to you good sir….The Mechanician has another fan….

[@gghhhfghgh]

@@shri081 Charles Taylor criou um super motor no quintal de apenas 12 HP! Kkkkkkkkkkkk O flyers I nunca vôo! Maior fake news da história!

[@ash.ab.5575]

37:24 Pakistani engineers can replicate it to mm to mm

[@Guilherme-kx3fd]

Despite what the Smithsonian wants, Santos Dumont was the first.

[@movieklump]

In the end they got the Wright wrong.

[@gabrieldegois8687]

so it's a kite

[@xstensl8823]

no helmet?

[@shashidharmurthy2226]

Indian mythology claims that they had flying machines called "Pushpaka vimana". True? False? God knows 😅

[@harperwelch5147]

I think it’s now well documented that the Wright Brothers were not the first to invent a flying airplane. Those credits go to foreigners and we hate admitting that Americans aren’t always first at every invention.

[@pruephillip1338]

Sustained, powered and controlled are what defines the invention of the plane. Others did well with some of these things, the Wrights got it all - including the science of flight through the maths and the wind tunnel.

[@pruephillip1338]

@General Melchett An carrier catapault takeoff doesn't negate the F18. HOW you get airflow under the wing isn't considered the issue - it's STAYING UP, and under CONTROL that counts. Like any engineering or science it's the guy/gal who puts it all together that gets the prize. And this is why Roslyn Franklin did not get the DNA prize, despite showing DNA was a double helix.

[@macwilliambasilio4128]

@@pruephillip1338 Sure, sure. And the brothers created also the jet engines...

[@pruephillip1338]

@@macwilliambasilio4128 What they did was buiild their own engine - and that engine wasn't as good as commercial ones then available - they got carried away with their own cleverness.

[@Negi2468]

horseshit. Greg's airplanes debunked this nonsense twice

[@GigaBit-i2j]

Why none of the replicas of any Flyer model before 1908 can not fly? Why there is no proof of any WB Flyer flight before 1908? Simple. Because it never flew before 1908.😊

[@Retroaria]

#WrightBrothersFirstPublicFlight1808

[@przemog88]

Sorry to break your bubble, but replica of Flyer-1 do fly. Also we have plenty of photos of three different airplanes made by Wrights before 1908, not counting vitnes' testimonies and newspapers articles. Learn history before writing such weird comments.

[@GigaBit-i2j]

@przemog88 look who is talking about bubble!😄😄😄 Please,post a single proff the Wrights flew before 1908. Talk, even a parrot can do. 😉 Physics laws did not change from 1903 , that is why you will never see any Flyer replica before 1908 flying. Please, put the link here of ANY article before 1908 about ANY Flyer flight. We are waiting...

[@GigaBit-i2j]

@@przemog88 waiting...

[@tonytrott9789]

On March 8, 2013, the aviation annual Jane's All the World's Aircraft published an editorial that recognises Gustave Whitehead as the first to achieve heavier than air powered flight in 1901. There is also clear evidence that maxim flew a steam powered heavier than air aircraft in the 1890s.. The only thing that the wriht brothers did was establish the flight control systems.

[@tsbrownie]

Those claims were based on article written in Scientific American. They have done an article (can find with google) that debunks those claims and cites those articles and puts the quotes in full context.

[@hvermout4248]

Perhaps Jay can loose a couple of pounds ...

[@tcm4721]

So many comercials

[@Rameus]

A lot of triggered individuals

[@adamhofer6471]

Otto liliethal was the first.

[@adamhofer6471]

@@jcrosby4804 it was mr weisskopf who was flying first a powert aircraft

[@antonioascari3294]

Why don't they talk about the 14 bis? Is it fear of facing the truth or are they ashamed of lying?

[@przemog88]

Before Dumont flew in 14 bis, Wrights built Flyer-1, Flyer-2 and Flyer-3 and all of them flew before 14 bis.

[@antonioascari3294]

@@przemog88 E as testemunhas disso ??? Onde estão ?? Se falarem pra voce que que Joe Biden é japones voce acredita ??? hahahah

[@przemog88]

Nice deflection. There are witnesses, photos and newspapers aricles. Not my problem that you prefer to destroy Dumon't legacy by lying about him.@@antonioascari3294

[@GigaBit-i2j]

@@antonioascari3294 Eles se perdem quando se pede provas sobre os boatos dos supostos voos dos Wright. E antes de 1908 é impossível provar que tenham voado.

[@nepaliangusyoung]

Wilbur shut cataput

[@deolamit]

good good

[@rickdeckard9810]

All that and they don't show the plane taking off. smh

[@przemog88]

You can find videos of taking off of Flyer-1 on youtube.

[@GigaBit-i2j]

@@przemog88 😂😂😂😂 Why you lie ?

[@voornaam3191]

51:05 When you look like a Schmeichel, never ever say "precious"! How fast can one ruin ones reputation? In a second. Did that son of a ditch really say "precious"? Oh yes he did. Check it out!

[@jorgecruzseda7551]

IT HAS NO SOUND!!!

[@sissytincker5178]

Silent but deadly. !!!

[@N1gel]

What about a video covering Percy Pilcher at Isle of Sheppy pand 2 brothers at railway embankment station Einsford and Maxim (steam engine powered & paying passengers) (of gun fame) in Bexley all in Southeasten England.

[@mikedunn7795]

They did do a Pilcher documentary. Tragic that he died before he tested his aircraft. Saw it a few years ago. kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5emfpWtmc2LoK8

[@N1gel]

@@mikedunn7795 well done Mike, thanks. I had a friend that was trying to get Percy"s workshop (yes its still there unused) restored into a museum but red tape, he got fedup of years banging his head on the wall. Such a shame.

[@spockboy]

Because... Merica!

[@odoublegfpv701]

Yey let's chop the trees down to save the model plane thats broken lol

[@robertvarga9843]

The only problem, that is a German guy flyed the first airplane.

[@johnswift1736]

100 years before Sir George Cayley's coachman flew a glider. Also Cayley specified the 4 forces needed for flight.

[@juliocesarpereira4325]

The Wright Brothers used the work of Otto Lilenthal and his gliders as a source of inspiration. I saw a replica of one of Lilenthal's gliders that the Wright Brothers built in the same room where the 1903 Wright Flyer is in exposition.

[@tomarmstrong1281]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y362i4irrZmYis0

[@Negi2468]

@@juliocesarpereira4325 Did you even watch the docu? All of Lilienthal's lift numbers were wrong. They recalculated them using their own wind tunnel.

[@davidgrandy4681]

I think that a bicycle IS inherently stable based on the gyroscope effect of the wheels turning. When the wheels stop turning then it is unstable then and the rider has to throw himself around to stay up.

[@tomr6955]

Did you listen to the end of his sentence?

[@mikedunn7795]

@@tomr6955 There was a small part of the video that touched on bicycle stability.

[@outerrealm]

35:15 an internal combustion engine is an engine, not a motor. An electric motor is a motor, not an engine. They are NOT the same. How could our supposed expert narrator not get that right?

[@DaveBuildsThings]

Nit pic much? 🤨

[@ant-1382]

Cause maybe he was not nit picking, and has better things to think about!!

[@11chubby11]

motor noun 1. Something, such as a machine or an engine, that produces or imparts motion. 2. A device that converts any form of energy into mechanical energy, especially an internal-combustion engine or an arrangement of coils and magnets that converts electric current into mechanical power. 3. A motor vehicle, especially an automobile.

[@Rameus]

Where in the documentary does it say that the narrator is an expert in aviation and engineering? Dude is reading from a script. It’s what narrators do. You even edited your comment. I can’t imagine what it read like before the edit.

[@markmedia8252]

Look up Peter Jackson the same one that did lord of the rings he has proof that there was new Zealand was the first to fly

[@kwerk2011]

What proof is that?

[@francishooper1649]

@@kwerk2011 A number of newspaper articles describing Richard Pearse's powered flights including a description of the difficulties in removing the aircraft from a tree.

[@kwerk2011]

@@francishooper1649 Pearse himself claimed he didn't start working on a flying machine until 1904, after seeing a prize of $20K being offered that year to build a machine that could navigate a specified course. The first publication of reports about his flying was in 1909.

[@kwerk2011]

And I'm still super interested in what Peter Jackson's proof may be.

[@MariosEngineeringCave]

it's only a myth, that they invented the motorized flight. Their first wright-flyer was not able to fly more than a few yards. Sad, but true. They called the Wright-Brothers the inventor to avoid to give this title to a german called Gustav Weisskopf (Whitehead). The picture of the wright-flyer showing their record was taken much later - you can see it on the engine, even if the picture is in very bad quality... At the end, the wright-flyer was the end of their evolution of planes, since they only sued others for building planes and never brought something better, than their last flyer... There is a good documentation about that fact.