The first airplane flight in 1903 was shorter than the wingspan of a modern Boeing 747 jet.

The Wright brothers built their own 12-horsepower engine because car engines in 1903 were too heavy. Their mechanic, Charlie Taylor, helped them build it out of aluminum to keep the weight down. The airplane wings were made of spruce wood and covered in cotton fabric.To steer the plane, they used a method called wing-warping. They pulled wires to twist the tips of the wings, which tilted the plane left or right. This is similar to how modern planes use flaps on their wings today.The brothers chose Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, for their tests because it had steady winds. These winds provided extra lift, which helped the plane take off more easily. On their fourth flight that day, Wilbur Wright flew for 59 seconds and covered 852 feet.Before building the full-size plane, they tested over 200 wing shapes in a homemade wind tunnel. Their experience as bicycle mechanics helped them understand how to balance a moving vehicle. This careful testing allowed them to succeed where others had failed.