The Wright Brothers and the Airplane - Five Attributes of Great Engineering Design

“I like history, especially history of great inventions. Some time ago I decided to read a history of the Wright Brothers. At the time, my impression of the Wright Brothers was as follows: They owned a bicycle shop and so were somewhat mechanically inclined, they cobbled together a fragile looking aircraft and were able to get it to fly a few feet off the ground, and thereby they became famous. They were somewhat lucky to achieve what they did. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Wright Brothers were great engineers and great designers.”

I don't have space, in this forum, to explain everything they did. However, I encourage anyone interested in design to get a good biography and read it. But for now, here are five attributes that made them great.

1.     The Wright Brothers were great learners.

The Wright Brothers learned everything they could about what previous experimenters had done. They obviously couldn’t just go to the library because there were few books written yet (nor could they search the internet!) so they wrote the Smithsonian Institution and requested copies of scientific studies. They built their first glider in 1900 based on the work of Otto Lilienthal, a German scientist whom they considered to be foremost in developing data for lift of variously-shaped airfoils.

The Wright Brothers 1900 glider, built according to the best data of the time.

2.     The Wright Brothers had confidence in their abilities.

When they realized existing data were incorrect, they decided to collect their own data. They built a wind tunnel in their bicycle shop and performed hundreds of carefully conducted experiments on airfoils, aspect ratios of wings, the effects of uprights, etc. They developed the most extensive and accurate database on flight that existed at the time in the world.

The wind tunnel, at the left, in their bicycle shop.

3.     The Wright Brothers relied on models to predict the performance of their designs.

The Wright Brothers made extensive calculations of the performance of their designs before they built them. Some of their calculations are shown below.

Some of the Wright Brothers’ calculations

4.     The Wright Brothers broke a big problem into smaller parts.

The Wright Brothers didn't start out building an airplane. Rather they started out learning how to control a glider. Then, out of necessity, they developed data and methods for predicting lift and drag of wings. After that, they developed an engine with the required horsepower and weight. Finally, they developed the world’s most advanced propellers. As they went step-by-step, they were able to make progress and not get discouraged.

From the Wright Brothers’ patent on how to control the roll of an airplane.

5.     The Wright Brothers worked hard.

At Kitty Hawk, the Wright Brothers befriended some members of the local lifesaving station. Here is what one of them said: “They were two of the workingest boys I ever saw, and when they worked they worked.  I never saw men so wrapped up in their work in my life.  They had their whole heart and soul in what they were doing, and when they were working we could come around and stand right over them and they wouldn’t pay any more attention to us than if we weren’t there at all.  After their day’s work was over they were different; then they were the nicest fellows you ever saw and treated us fine.”

Success! One of the greatest inventions of the 20th century.

These five attributes helped the Wright Brothers bring to fruition one of the greatest inventions of the 20th Century. They can help us as well if we work to make them part of who we are and how we practice design and engineering.