Today is Wright Brothers Day, which celebrates the brothers’ first successful airplane flight in 1903 near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina!

Both Orville and Wilbur Wright have been given credit for inventing the world’s first airplane that was equipped with aircraft controls for steering.

The famous aircraft, otherwise known as the “Flyer” made history when its flight lasted 12 seconds and traveled 120 feet on December 17, 1903.

Though this is a feat in and of itself, the Wright brothers’ first flight is even more meaningful for inventors who are actively pursuing their dreams.

In previous blogs, we’ve provided you with tips like how to tune out skeptics and the five qualities of a successful person to name a couple.

Today, to celebrate the inventive spirit of this creative duo who took a chance, defied the odds and revolutionized modern transportation as we know it, we want to share with you three things you might not have known about the Wright brothers.

1. A toy sparked the curiosity to fly.

Intriguing as it is, a toy is what sent the Wright brothers airborne! Both brothers received a toy helicopter that was made from bamboo, cork, paper and a rubber band. A gift from their father’s travels in France, this toy left them amazed as they watched it flutter in the air before it fell to the ground. You could say that it was at this moment that their invention dreams took flight.

2. Genetic geniuses.

Though their father’s toy sparked their interest, it is said the Wright brothers actually inherited their inventive nature and handy-work from their mother, Susan Koerner Wright, who could make almost anything by hand.

3. One and done.

Once the Flyer made its successful flight in addition to a few other flights that day, it was never flown again. This was due in part to the fact that the aircraft was struck with a strong gust of wind and flipped several times. The damage was far too immense and the Flyer was sent back to Ohio and was never flown again.

Because Orville and Wilbur Wright dared to invent, we can admire these two everyday people who on this day 112 years ago decided to follow their invention dreams and become two remarkable inventors.

Will you dare to invent like the Wright brothers?

Copyright Davison, 2015

Sources:

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/wright-brothers-day

http://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-wright-brothers

http://mentalfloss.com/article/72273/15-uplifting-facts-about-wright-brothers

Media:

http://www.wright-brothers.org/Information_Desk/Help_with_Homework/Wright_Photos/Wright_Photos_images/1902_Glider_Launched.jpg

http://cp91279.biography.com/5-Facts-About-the-Wright-Brothers_HD_768x432-16×9.jpg

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Each year, there are new, innovative invention ideas that are geared toward the airline industry. Whether it’s new technology or designs, these ideas continue to fly high.

Today, we are going to take a look at a few of the latest innovative designs that are ready to take off! Let’s take a look!

Dual user armrest- Perhaps the bane of most travelers existence is the awkward encounters that ensue because of armrests. Who gets the armrest? How do you bargain with a stranger? These questions plus many more might be a thing of the past with this invention.  James S.H. Lee is the Director of Paperclip Design Limited, Hong Kong, received honors for his designs that work to find a solution to the battle for which flyer gets the armrest by giving one to both!

This invention design is inspired by the shape of a paperclip and provides two armrests in one single space; one above and one below which are both part of a single, smooth-curved unit. Although this invention design won the Crystal Cabin Award in 2009 for its innovation, it is still in the works and only time will tell if this is the end of one battle and the beginning of another.  Who will get the top or bottom tier of the armrest?

Take a seat- Whether it’s a short flight or a long flight, chances are, you would like some sort of comfort from your seat.  One innovation in particular, known as The Thompson Aero Cozy Suite is a new invention design for those who fly in the economy class. The rows of seats are staggered so that the passengers are slightly set back from one another. The “suite” style seats add an extra layer of privacy and personal space, however, it will use about the same space that is needed for traditional seating. Although this may sound like a solution to the woes of people invading your personal space while flying, this aviation invention may never actually see the inside of an airplane cabin. But, only time will tell!

Flying toward the future- Despite the fact that this airline invention may be decades away, Airbus’ invention idea of the Concept Cabin doesn’t align with the traditional cabin classes that we see today. In fact, the Business and Economy class are replaced by zones. These zones pinpoint more individual needs such as relaxing, playing games, interacting with others, or even holding business meetings with people on the ground. The bionic structure of the cabin, along with its responsive membrane, combines panoramic views with an integrated network that runs through it.  This network can identify and respond to the specific needs of each passenger.  Additionally, this invention design offers different levels of experience for the traveler within each zone. This would allow for airlines to achieve the price differential they need in order to operate a successful business. Although this seems like a cool idea, this innovative invention design is still decades away from coming to fruition!

Just like any invention, these aviation design ideas look to offer solutions to problems that have existed for quite some time in the airline industry. Problems such as who gets the armrest to maintaining your personal space on an airplane may soon become a thing of the past. Although it’s uncertain if any of these inventions will actually make it to mass production, one thing is for sure, these invention ideas are flying high with innovation!

Copyright Davison 2014

Sources:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/10810628/Aircraft-interiors-the-armrest-that-could-defuse-an-elbow-war.html

http://skift.com/2014/04/24/the-airplane-seat-design-that-can-end-the-battle-of-the-armrests/

http://airchive.com/blog/2014/04/14/aircraft-interiors-expo-2014-wrap-up/

http://www.airbus.com/innovation/future-by-airbus/concept-planes/the-airbus-concept-cabin/

Images:

http://q8allinone.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Paperclip-Armrest-4.jpg

http://airchive.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/IMG_20140409_123721687.jpg

http://www.airbus.com/typo3temp/pics/d6fa2d5032.jpg

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Critical precursors to the plane were kites and hot air balloons.  Kites, invented by the Chinese around 400 BC, enabled inventors to study aerodynamics and gave them a sense of how wind flowed over and under a fixed wing for lift. But of course kites were too flimsy to carry a man, so everything learned was theoretical.  Balloons, on the other hand, allowed people to leave the ground and float in the air, like a bird, giving the traveler the exhilarated feeling of flight. The first passenger balloon is credited to another pair of brothers, Joseph and Jacques Montgolfier who— in 1783—used smoke from a fire to blow hot air into a silk bag, which allowed the balloon to be lighter-than-air.  The silk bag was attached to a basket, and the first passengers in this balloon were a sheep, a duck and a rooster.

In 1799, a man named George Cayley built the world’s first glider. Many consider him to be the first true scientific aerial investigator and the first person to understand the underlying principles and physics of flight.  Over the next 50 years, he made many improvements to the gliders; including changing the shape of the wings so that the air would flow over the wings correctly, and designing a tail for the gliders to help with stability. He also tried a biplane design to add strength to the glider. In 1849, Cayley built a large gliding machine and tested the device with a 10-year old boy aboard. According to Cayley, the glider “flew” with the boy on-board for a short flight.

By 1891, a German engineer named Otto Lilienthal became the first person to create a real glider that would fly a person long distances.  He was fascinated by the idea of flight, and wrote a book on aerodynamics based on his studies of the flight of birds which was published in 1889.  After more than 2,500 flights, Lilienthal was killed when he lost control of his glider during a sudden strong gust of wind that caused him to crash to the ground. The story of his death and the gliders he flew later inspired Wilbur Wright to begin his studies of aerodynamics, and Lilienthal’s text was used by the Wright Brothers as the basis for their designs.

Of course, in 1903, the Wright Brothers had their momentous event, and humans were now able to fly.  Many improvements followed this event and things began to happen quickly.  In 1905, Wilbur piloted a new plane design in a flight that lasted 39 minutes and covered about 24 miles. By 1906, Alberto Santos-Dumont made his first successful powered flight in Europe; and in 1909, a French aviator named Louis Bleriot made the first airplane crossing of English Channel. Then, in 1927, Charles Lindbergh completed the first solo, nonstop, trans-Atlantic flight, and international air travel quickly followed.  A few years later, in 1930, a British inventor named Frank Whittle invented the jet engine that allowed people to go faster and farther than ever before, but that’s a story for another time.

Photos:

http://cache2.allpostersimages.com/p/LRG/14/1459/T5DQ000Z/posters/leonardo-da-vinci-flying-machine.jpg
http://media-1.web.britannica.com/eb-media/27/114727-004-424C89B4.jpg
http://www.madscientistblog.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/lilienthal-biplane.jpg

Sources:

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/UEET/StudentSite/historyofflight.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgolfier_brothers
http://www.flyingmachines.org/cayl.html
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/wb-timeline.html

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