First Flight: The Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Airplane by Tom D. Crouch is a beautifully illustrated National Park Service handbook that tells the story of the Wright brothers and their invention of the first heavier-than-air machine.
The book, written by the then Senior Aeronautics Curator at the National Air and Space Museum, begins with a foreword by astronaut John Glenn.
The Wrights were the first astronauts. Their initial short flight opened our quest to reach beyond the world we know. They were the first test pilots. Combining science with design intuition, they sought to go “faster, higher, farther,” and after them the world would never be the same.
Reminiscent of part National Geographic publication, part DK book, this 114-page pictorial look at flight covers the Wright family in Dayton, the Wrights’ bicycle business, the steps to learning to fly, other contemporary flyers, the Wrights’ wind tunnel, the science behind the plane, the Wright Brothers National Memorial, and accounts from each test flight. Also included is an illustrated timeline that look at the origins of flight.
First Flight is a must for those studying how things fly and the history behind those who found out!
Free eBook
Additional Resources
First Flight: The Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Airplane by Tom D. Crouch
Paperback for those interested.
Free Science Studies: Orville & Wilbur Wright
Lots of interactives, activities, printables, and downloads to go along with the book.
The Wright Brothers by David McCullough
Highly recommended biography. Read our full review with suggested activities.
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