The idea of an airplane was old as the hills, but they made it work. The Wright Brothers worked at a time when science first began to affect ordinary people's lives in a powerful way. In 1903, when they made their first powered flight, Henry Ford made the first Model T automobile. The airplane affects our lives by bringing people and ideas closer together. Today, you can take commercial airlines around the world in a few days.
Some military jets can fly around the world in less than a day.
And the Space Shuttle orbits the earth in less than an hour. Click on a photo to enlarge it. They invented a control system that made it work. Science An airplane flies because the pressure of the air on the wings lifts it off the ground, similar to the way the wind lifts a kite. Every aircraft flying today still has roll, pitch, and yaw controls.