First to Fly: How Wilbur and Orville Wright Invented the Airplane
Grade 4-8-This oversized volume captures the Wright brothers' monumental achievement 100 years ago. The pages are filled with large, sumptuous paintings that add a flavor of realism and an almost nostalgic feel. In addition, well-chosen images and reproductions help to inform the text. Archival photos from the Wright brothers' own collection and diagrams created by a mechanical engineer/aeronautics expert do much to help readers understand the concepts of flight. The story of these inventive siblings has been told before and often. This book engages readers quickly and maintains interest throughout. On the morning of December 17, 1903, Orville flew 852 feet and for 59 seconds in the first ever manned and powered flight. While some accounts stop with this achievement, Busby goes on to describe other flights and the company the Wrights founded supplying licensing designs for airplane manufacturers. The stress of watching those patents, the author speculates, may have contributed to Wilbur's ill health and early death at age 45. Orville, working alone, went on to research and experiment, lending insights into developing the automatic pilot and wing flaps for bombers and the space shuttle. This well-researched and exceptionally appealing title joins Wendie Old's To Fly (Clarion, 2002) and Mary Collins's Airborne (National Geographic, 2003) to kick off the centennial celebration. Take flight!-Harriett Fargnoli, Great Neck Library, NYCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.