More_Flaps wrote:
On Aug 10, 5:17 am, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

Before them, not much about flight was known at all. There was a lot
of
supposition and they found that the info available at the time was
completely wrong, which is why they started form scratch with a wind
tunnel.
The accomplishments encommpassed in that first airplane are simply
astounding.
Not to mention what they learned about control. Between the kite
experiments and the early gliders they had learned a lot about
controlling their machines.


I think there were two main issues. Model planes had already been
built and flown but real flight needed control as you said plus enough
lift. It was their systematic experimenting ht gave them success
rather than genius I think.

I'd certainly call their accomplishment the result of genius, considering
that in the century that followed the contributions of thousands of
brilliant aeronautical engineers were comparatively minor tweaks of the
Wrights' systematic experiments.

Neil