Is the airplane really invented by the Wright Brothers?

However, this isn't the only dispute against the Wright brothers' legacy. Crouch says millions of Brazilians believe their pioneer aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont actually invented the airplane. read more

Alleged inventor: The Wright brothers . Actual Inventor: Richard Pearse . The story: In March of 1902, the New Zealand farmer took flight for roughly 350 yards (by most eyewitness accounts) in a monoplane aircraft before crashing into a hedge. This little-known experiment took place months before the Wright brothers more sustained flight. read more

The Wright brothers soon found that their success was not appreciated by all. Many in the press, as well as fellow flight experts, were reluctant to believe the brothers’ claims at all. As a result, Wilbur set out for Europe in 1908, where he hoped he would have more success convincing the public and selling airplanes. read more

A century before the Wright brothers, George Cayley etched onto this silver disc history’s first-ever imagining of the airplane. The final feature of this crude etching reveals Cayley’s greatest realization. read more