Objects & Inventions
Airplane
An airplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft that produces lift as air moves around its wings and thrust moves it forward.
An airplane is a powered aircraft with fixed wings. Forward thrust moves it through the air, while airflow around the wings produces lift. Pilots control its pitch, roll, and yaw using movable surfaces and other systems, allowing the aircraft to climb, descend, turn, and maintain stable flight.
Many inventors contributed to aviation, but Orville and Wilbur Wright achieved the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air airplane on December 17, 1903. Their Wright Flyer completed four flights that day near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, beginning with a 12-second journey of 120 feet.
Quick facts
- An airplane is a fixed-wing aircraft that uses thrust and aerodynamic lift for powered flight.
- Movable control surfaces help pilots control pitch, roll, and yaw.
- The Wright brothers' first powered airplane flight occurred on December 17, 1903.
- Orville Wright piloted the first flight, which lasted 12 seconds and traveled 120 feet.
- The Wright brothers completed four powered flights on the day of their first success.
A surprising fact
Only five people witnessed the Wright Flyer's first flight, and one of them photographed the event.
