Orville Wright: The Flyer

Heroes of History #16

by Janet Benge, Geoff Benge

"At last Orville was free, soaring above the sand dunes, wind in his face. Lying in the glider's wing, he moved his hips in the control cradle and the craft began to turn as planned. But then something went wrong. The glider wanted to go into a spin, and as Orville struggled with the controls, it came to a standstill in midair."

When Orville Wright (1871-1948) and his brother Wilbur set out to solve the problem of flight, they recognized that success would come with careful observation, perseverance, and ingenuity. From experiments in their Dayton, Ohio, bicycle shop to test flights over the beaches of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the amateur aviation enthusiasts risked their lives and worked tirelessly to solve the problems that had stumped the world's best scientists.

Together the Wright brothers designed and constructed a power-driven airplane and, in it, made the world's first controlled, sustained flights. As a result, the skies were opened and the era of aviation began.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction

178 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2006

About the author

Janet and Geoff Benge are a husband and wife writing team with twenty years of writing experience. They are best known for the books in the two series Christian Heroes: Then & Now series and Heroes of History. Janet is a former elementary school teacher. Geoff holds a degree in history. Together they have a passion to make history come alive for a new generation. Originally from New Zealand, the Benges make their home in the Orlando, Florida, area.

Reviews

[Daniel Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book explains the problems the brothers had along the way and the innovative and original solutions they came up with to accomplish flight.

[Charissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating, well-told story about incredible, inspiring people!

[JD' · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Weight brothers who invented the airplane believed that war would become a thing of the past. History. By then m World War 1 & 2 commenced and Orville Wright wrote in a letter, "The aeroplane has made war so terrible that I do not believe any country will again care to start a war.” However after world war 2 in 1946 he would write “I once thought the aeroplane would end wars. I now wonder whether the aeroplane and the atomic bomb can do it. It seems that ambitious rulers will sacrifice the lives and property of all their people to gain a little personal fame.”

It's interesting how he thought every one would own a plane or 2 planes. That never happened.

[Rachel L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook with kids summer/fall 2024

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4* Audio