First in Flight
... Immediately after the flight of the 1902 glider, Wilbur and Orville Wright began work on the design of a new machine they planned to propel with a motor. ... Here they finished work on the machine, and prepared for flight-testing. The first test of the motor on the machine developed a flaw in one of the propeller shafts. ... They flipped a coin to decide who would fly first, Wilbur won. ... This flight did not demonstrate the power of the motor, but it did assure that the method of take-off was good. ... Measurements made before flight indicated velocities of 11 to 12 meters per second, or 24 to 27 mph. The path of the flight up and down was exceedingly erratic, due to the irregularity of the air, and lack of experience in handling the machine. ... A sudden dart toward the ground a little over 100 feet from the end of the track, ended the flight. The flight was 120 feet long, lasting 12 seconds. The length of the second flight was less than a second longer than the first, but the distance covered was 75 feet greater. The flight was very much like the first, involving many ups and downs. Twenty minutes later, they started the third flight.