Quaint Beginnings This is Dayton, Ohio, at the turn of the century. Seated in the front of the carriage is sister Katharine, who will remain an important supporter. Even though autos are now available, the Wrights don't own one. They tend to design and build everything they want. This includes not only their many gliders and test aircraft, but also their first engine (built by their shop mechanic), and even the propellers. They are a tight-knit family, with bonds that last a lifetime. Neither brother ever marries.

	Party-hardy Friends Luckily for us, photographers document not only the family aviation achievements, but also a bit of ordinary family life. There are many other photos from this period in American history, but most feature prominent personalities, or historic events. The casual scenes shown above are unlike most other portraits of the time. Sister Katharine is a constant presence. She manages the bicycle shop herself, during the three summers when the brothers are off flying their gliders over the dunes at Kitty Hawk. After attending Oberlin Academy, she attends Oberlin College, 200 miles to the north. There are also two other older brothers, who have already left home.
	It Started with Bicycles The Wright Brothers succeed due to vision, talent and persistence, but are never far from their tools. Wilbur, who is older by four years and more cautious, is the natural leader. He always looks his best. It's hard to find a photo where he isn't wearing a tie and hat, even while flying. The brothers are almost religious in their reliance upon scientific methods, and engineering calculations. They build a small wind tunnel to test 200 different wing shapes (top center). Carefully checking their calculations for lift and drag, they discover errors in previously-published figures. When they can't find a suitable engine, they have one built to their own specifications, which drives the propellers using chain from their own bike shop.
	Obsessive Testing Above all, the Wright Brothers rely on testing. Over and over. They fly an amazing 1,000 glider flights before their first attempt at powered flight. It might seem that 100 would have been sufficient. Even so, every flight brings with it the fresh chance of disaster. Their one and only real crash is terrifying, when a propeller comes apart at an altitude of 100 feet. The aircraft comes down hard (top left), leaving Orville badly injured. His Army observe-passenger, seated right next to him, does not survive. They keep at it, nonetheless. Wilbur's famous flight over New York Harbor comes one year later, on a day when famed aviator Glenn Curtiss, who is also scheduled to participate, refuses to fly due to wind conditions.
	The Payoff The Wright Brothers don't put down their tools and go out on a publicity tour after their success at Kitty Hawk. Instead, they keep at it as relentlessly as before, flying around and around a somewhat remote field outside Dayton. practicing turns (top right). Well aware that aviators all over Europe are also developing aircraft, they try to keep their technology away from prying eyes, while they work on improving performance. They are awaiting approval for their patent application, which is finally granted three years later. The patent doesn't claim invention of the airplane, but rather of their special wing-warping technology, used to control turns.
	Is That Really Safe? Some ideas are almost laughable. In the glider photo (top left), note that Wilbur's legs are visible. The initial idea for landing is to drop the legs down, and run the glider to a stop. This proves unnecessary.  Wilbur and Orville are equal participants in both design and flight. Wilbur keeps on after Orville's crash injuries, making his big debut flight for the Army the following year (lower left). Sister Katharine is right by his side for the event (far right), although not for the demo flight. As usual, Wilbur is wearing collar and tie, his trademark cap concealing premature balding.