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	• Science Desk >> ATW -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 100 Years of Flight (George) Think about IT--, we wouldn’t have those high powered fighter jets or space shuttles shooting towards the stars had Orville and Wilbur Wright not gotten their 1903 flyer off the ground. They were only up for 14 seconds and they traveled only 200 feet but they changed the lives of everyone whose traveled since that day. To celebrate this amazing scientific achievement a group called ‘The Wright Experience’ is researching, reconstructing and flying authentic full-scale reproductions of Wright Brother’s aircraft like the famous 1903 flyer. The science of flight is studied in depth today…but basically, what the Wright Brothers discovered was the physics that make airplanes fly: There are two forces at work….thrust and drag. Thrust is the force created by a power source…like an engine….which gives an airplane forward motion. It can either “pull” or “push” an airplane forward. Modern airplanes use propellers of jet engines to obtain thrust. Thrust overcomes drag…the force which delays or sows the forward movement of an airplane through the air as it moves around an airplane and its components. The more surface area exposed to rushing air, the greater the drag. An airplane’s shape helps it move through the air more easily. They work together because when a plane rolls really fast down a runway, the around also moves. When the pilot tilts the plane’s wings, all that fast-moving air creates a vacuum that lets the plane take off and fly. Incidentally…The Wright Brothers destroyed all documentation and drawings of their work to ensure nobody would steal their revolutionary ideas. If you would like to learn more about The Wright Brothers and the history of flight check out the ATW website at ATWONLINE.ORG…and that’s it from the science desk! More Information The Dynamics of Airplane Flight http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blairplanedynamics.htm History of Flight http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/home/History_of_Flight.html Overview of the Wright Brothers and their discoveries http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/Wright/discoveries.htm Aviation Lesson Plans for Teachers http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/Wright/lesson.htm The Wright Experience homepage http://www.wrightexperience.com6. Learn about the US Navy Blue Angels http://www.blueangels.navy.mil © 2004 WXXI-TV/ Assignment: The World. All Rights Reserved.