Orlik 017 Wright's brothers first plane - Flyer I

The Flyer I (another designation: Wright Flyer or Flyer 1903) is the first fully controllable motor plane in history, from which we can talk about the birth of the plane as such. It was constructed by the brothers Willbur and Orville Wright. The plane was made as a biplane with a structure mainly of wooden, covered with linen. The machine was powered by an in-line engine with only 12 HP. The historic flight took place, according to official data, on December 17, 1903. In its course, the Orville Wright flew only 36.5 meters! In the course of it, and as a result of subsequent flights, it turned out that the plane is longitudinally unstable and requires very active control by the pilot. It also had a too weak engine that made it impossible to start independently. It was, however, very steerable. Currently, this historic machine is on display at the National Air above the Space Museum in Washington.