The Wright Brothers spent three years studying and testing different shapes of gliders at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
A picture of the actual 12 horsepower engine used in the flight
Once they were satisfied with the wing shape, the Wright brothers focused on creating a propulsion system that would generate enough thrust to fly. They designed an engine that would generate almost 12 horsepower.
Actual Flyer at Kitty Hawk
On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur’s Flyer traveled one hundred twenty feet in twelve seconds which marked one of the greatest inventions of aviation technology that changed the course of modern transport. The two brothers took turns flying that day with the fourth and last flight covering 850 feet in 59 seconds.